Many people get their first job when they are a minor (under the age of 18 years old). These teens are generally eager to work so they can make some money and start their path towards independence. The benefits of hiring minors for a business include filling vacant positions, great training opportunities, and diversifying an established workforce. Before any company is able to hire minors, they must follow the youth employment regulations set forth by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). There are four simple steps outlined below. See L&I’s guide on How to Hire Minors (wa.gov).

Step 1: Obtain a minor work permit endorsement on their business license

Applications for minor work permits go through the Department of Revenue (DOR) and L&I will review all minor work permit requests. After the permit has been approved, DOR will give the business a new license with the minor work permit endorsement. The business must then post the new business license and continue to renew the license yearly with DOR if they want to continue employing minors.

Step 2: Get a completed Parent/School Authorization or Parent Summer Authorization form

A parent or legal guardian AND their school (when in session) must complete the appropriate authorization form (Parent/School Authorization or Parent Authorization for Summer). All employers must keep a copy of these forms on file.

Step 3: Verify the minor’s age

Several different documents may be used to validate a minor’s age and employers are required to keep a copy on file.

These documents are:

• Birth Certificate
• Driver’s license
• Baptismal record
• Notarized statement from the parent or legal guardian

(Note: for agricultural jobs an insurance policy that is at least one year old indicating the date of birth or a completed federal employment eligibility verification (I-9) are also valid documents for proof of age.)

Step 4: Record personal data and employment description

For all youth employment, the employers must establish a job description with a full list of duties and what those duties entail.

Hooray! Your business has successfully hired youth employees! Now what??

Don’t forget, there are more laws to be aware of after a business employs any minors. Depending on the age of your employee, different restrictions are put in place with regards to hours of work, wages, breaks and meal periods. All employed minors have the right to a paid rest break, free from duties. Minors are also required to receive meal breaks, if they work long enough shifts. Unlike adults, minors cannot waive their meal breaks

Be sure to visit L&I Youth Employment, worker rights for all of the details.

Last but not least, while youth employees are allowed to do a variety of tasks and job functions there are strictly prohibited duties they are not allowed to participate in.

These tasks include:

• Any work including operation, repair, oiling, cleaning, adjusting, or setting up of:
  • Power-driven woodworking machines
  • Circular, band, or chain saws
  • Power-driven metal forming, punching, and shearing machines, including guillotine shears
• Wrecking, demolition, and excavation
• Roofing
• Handling or exposure to highly toxic, carcinogenic, corrosive, and poisonous chemicals
• Handling, use, or manufacture of explosives or blasting agents
• Slaughtering, meat processing, rendering, and packing
• Working where a strike, labor dispute, or lockout exists.

Different industries may have additional job restrictions. Please see Prohibited Duties (wa.gov) on the L&I website for a comprehensive list of banned work tasks.

Do you have questions about youth employment, or anything else L&I related? PIM Savvy is ready to help you with these and other topics individually over the phone, via online meetings, or in person at one of our virtual workshops. We have safety and labor expertise to share with you and we can connect you with L&I. Call or text our workplace safety info line at 206-565-2961. Not only that, in partnership with L&I, these services are FREE to you!