The state of Ohio permits 14-year-olds to enter the workforce, allowing young teens to gain valuable experience and earn income. This ability to work is subject to significant regulatory oversight that prioritizes the minor’s safety and education. The framework for youth employment is designed to balance the benefits of early work experience with the need for protection from exploitation and hazardous conditions. The rules governing employment dictate the kind of tasks they can perform and the maximum number of hours they can work daily or weekly.
Understanding Ohio’s Child Labor Laws for 14-Year-Olds
The legal foundation for employing young people in Ohio rests on a dual system: the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) Chapter 4109. Both aim to safeguard the well-being of minors, but employers must follow the stricter standard when state and federal rules conflict regarding working hours or prohibited tasks. The ORC 4109 sets the minimum age for general employment at 14 years old.
Minors aged 14 and 15 are grouped together under state law and require an “age and schooling certificate.” This legal structure ensures that work does not interfere with the minor’s educational progress or compromise their health. Some narrowly defined roles like babysitting or performing in the arts may have exceptions to these rules.
Specific Jobs 14-Year-Olds Can Hold
Ohio law permits 14-year-olds to work in a variety of non-hazardous occupations, typically found in commercial and service sectors. The acceptable roles are generally non-manufacturing and do not involve dangerous machinery or environments. These job types are categorized to provide clarity on the scope of permitted duties for this age group.
Retail and Sales Assistance
Retail environments offer numerous positions suitable for 14-year-olds, focusing primarily on customer-facing and organizational tasks. Acceptable duties involve stocking shelves, arranging products, bagging customer purchases, and performing cashier functions. These roles allow minors to interact with the public and learn basic business operations.
Food Service Establishment Roles
Many roles in restaurants and quick-service establishments are open to minors, though certain equipment and areas are strictly off-limits. Teens can perform tasks such as dishwashing, serving food to tables, busing dirty dishes, and working behind the counter. State law explicitly prohibits 14-year-olds from operating any power-driven food preparation machinery, including meat slicers, deep fryers, choppers, and commercial ovens.
Office and Clerical Work
Office settings provide an environment where minors can perform administrative tasks that do not involve hazardous equipment or excessive physical labor. Permitted duties include filing documents, running errands on the premises, and performing general computer work. These roles offer exposure to a professional environment and allow minors to develop organizational and technical skills.
Specific Exceptions and Exemptions
Some types of work are exempted from standard child labor laws due to their casual nature or relationship to the minor’s family. Examples include babysitting, minor chores like lawn mowing for a private homeowner, and newspaper delivery. These roles are typically not subject to the same work permit and hour regulations. Additionally, a minor may be employed by a parent or guardian in a business they solely own, provided the work is not in a hazardous, mining, or manufacturing setting.
Jobs and Duties Prohibited for 14-Year-Olds
Ohio law, aligned with federal standards, prohibits 14-year-olds from engaging in occupations that are considered hazardous. These restrictions are based on the nature of the work and serve to protect young workers from undue risk. Common categories of prohibited employment include all manufacturing, mining, and construction work.
Specific tasks involving heavy or dangerous equipment are forbidden, such as operating power-driven woodworking machines, power-driven paper product machines, or any kind of hoisting apparatus. Minors cannot be employed in public messenger services or in occupations involving exposure to hazardous chemicals or explosives. The prohibition also extends to working in freezers or meat coolers, and preparing meat for sale beyond simple wrapping or stocking.
Restrictions on Working Hours and Scheduling
The Ohio Revised Code places specific limits on the hours 14- and 15-year-olds can work to ensure employment does not interfere with schooling. The restrictions become more flexible when school is not in session, such as during summer vacation or school holidays of five or more days.
School In Session Limits
Maximum of three hours per day.
Maximum of eighteen hours per week.
Work hours must fall between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Non-School Session Limits
Maximum of eight hours per day.
Maximum of forty hours per week.
Work is permitted until 9:00 p.m. from June 1st through September 1st.
Employers are required to provide a rest period of at least thirty minutes if a minor works for more than five consecutive hours.
Obtaining the Necessary Work Permit
Any 14-year-old seeking employment in Ohio must obtain an Age and Schooling Certificate, the state’s official work permit. This permit serves as proof of the minor’s age and confirms the job is legally permissible. The process requires coordination among the student, employer, parent, and the school district’s issuing officer.
The student must secure a job offer and complete a pre-application form detailing job duties and hours, which requires parental consent. Required components include:
The completed pre-application form.
A physician’s certificate confirming the minor is physically able to perform the work (a current school or sports physical may be accepted).
The student submits all completed and signed forms to the school district’s issuing officer, who then issues the certificate to the employer.
Wage Regulations for Minor Employees
Minors employed in Ohio are generally covered by the state’s minimum wage law. For non-tipped employees, the minor is entitled to the current Ohio minimum wage rate. However, federal law allows employers to pay a training wage of $4.25 per hour to new employees under age 20 for the first 90 calendar days of employment.
The Ohio minimum wage standard does not apply to all employers, as businesses with annual gross receipts under a specified threshold are permitted to pay the federal minimum wage instead. Furthermore, employees under the age of 16 must be paid no less than the federal minimum wage, even if the employer is exempt from the state rate. These rules ensure that teens can earn income while being compensated according to the law.