Child Labor Laws in Utah:- Utah has put rules in place to protect the welfare of kids in the workplace. These laws prioritise the safety of minors by outlawing hazardous work environments and encouraging regular attendance at school by limiting child labour.
It’s a well-known fact that hiring minors is common, and it’s true that working may teach kids and teenagers valuable lessons about money management and responsibility.
The Utah Minor Employment Act
The Utah Employment of Minors Act was passed in 1990 and has subsequently undergone numerous revisions, with the most significant revisions taking place in 1992, 1996, 1997, and 2008.
The law’s objective is to provide guidelines for any company hiring minors, who are classified as anyone under the age of 18. Employers operating in Utah are required to abide by federal labour rules that impact the employment of minors as well as the Utah Employment of Minors Act.
It’s wonderful that many small enterprises hire their young offspring!
Let’s talk about what Utah employers need to know about hiring minors. Being penalised and receiving bad press for breaking child labour regulations is the last thing you want to happen.
Utah’s Minimum Work Age for Minors
According to the Utah Labour Commission, businesses are required to pay juveniles under the age of 18 at least the minimum wage, but they may choose to pay them $4.25 per hour during the first ninety days of their employment.
Employers in Utah are required to pay their employees the prevailing minimum wage, which is equal to the $7.25 per hour federal minimum wage.
Maximum Work Hours for Children
The number of hours a minor may work in a given day and week is restricted by working hour laws.
Regarding Minors Under 16:
During the summer, eight hours of work each day, or forty hours per week, are allowed. In a school week, four hours of work per day are allowed.
For Adolescents 16 and Up:
- The maximum hours that minors between the ages of 16 and 17 can work in Utah are unrestricted.
- Limitations on Night Work for Minors
- The late hours that a minor may lawfully labour are limited by nightwork laws.
Regarding Minors Under 16:
Before the start of the school day, from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m., work is not permitted.
For Adolescents 16 and Up:
There are no laws in Utah prohibiting minors under the age of 16 and 17
In Utah, minors are allowed to work as young as 14 in a variety of non-hazardous industries, including restaurants, offices, retail stores, and other industries. For younger minors, employment options include simple yard care, babysitting, and newspaper delivery under some circumstances.
While state and federal labour rules permit adolescents to work in a variety of businesses, there are hours that must be kept to a minimum. Employers also need to keep in mind that under 18-year-olds are still not allowed to conduct any tasks that are considered harmful by child labour rules.
What Does the Utah Employment of Minors Act Address?
There are three provisions that comprise the Utah Employment of Minors Act:
- Minors’ occupations
- Minimal pay
- Penalties
Minors’ Occupations
Utah law restricts the kinds of jobs that children can perform as well as the number of hours they can work each day and each week. Generally speaking, minors are only permitted to work a restricted number of hours in jobs that the Utah Labour Commission has determined to be non-hazardous.
Minimum Pay for Children
In Utah, minors are required to work for the minimum wage, with the first ninety days of employment being an exception.
Penalties
Employers risk a $500 fine for each instance in which they recruit a minor for a banned job or make a payment that is less than what is required by state law.
What Advantages Do Utah Employers Get From Hiring Minors?
Teenagers who work throughout the summer can learn a trade or take charge of their finances. A few minors also decide to work during the academic year.
Employing minors can be quite advantageous for them. These are a few advantages.
- Benefits that older employees expect are unnecessary for teenagers. Usually, their parents’ insurance will pay for them. You won’t have to pay teenagers for vacation or sick days because the majority of them work on an hourly basis.
- New viewpoint. The following generation has new insights to share. Their perspective on the modern world could differ greatly from yours, and that can be advantageous for any kind of business.
- It is simple to train them. Teens are intelligent and ready to learn.
- They might eventually start working full-time. Many teenagers who begin working a summer job part-time will continue to do so. One day, your manager might be your busser.
Utah’s Minor Payment Laws
Workers with disabilities and those under 20 may be entitled to subminimum pay; the government and businesses choose the rates, respectively. Under the “Student-Learner programme,” full-time student workers are entitled to 85% of the minimum wage, with a $6.16 rate for students.
Utah ensures that the state minimum wage is equal to the federal minimum wage by adhering to the Fair Labour Standards Act (FLSA). This rate, which is currently set at $7.25 per hour for those protected by FLSA legislation, is only available to FLSA-covered employees.
Utah’s Break Requirements for Minors (Child Labor Laws)
With one significant exception, Utah complies with federal rules pertaining to child labour. According to state law, minors who work five or more hours in a succession are entitled to a 30-minute break.
There is one exemption to Utah’s break laws: minor employees are permitted to take a 30-minute break following five hours of labour.
Utah Banned Jobs for Minors:
Because of their hazardous nature, several jobs are prohibited for children under the FLSA; this legislation is applicable to workers who are younger than 18 years old. There are particular professions in Utah that fit this description, such as:
- Operator of the boiler room
- Miner Excavator
- Operator for meat processing
- Operator/servicer of motor vehicles
- Operator of power-driven machinery
- Welder Roofer
- Jobs in establishments that provide alcoholic beverages