Child Labor
Notes and Comments Regarding Child Labor
As summer approaches, teenagers begin job searches for summer employment.
Different departments will employ these teenagers in a multitude of duties from
manual labor to even performing certain research or survey work. The Department
of Labor has limitations on what children can do, hours that they can work.
In order to make sure the University remains in compliance with Department of Labor
regulations regarding child labor laws, additional general information is being
made available to you.
Under no circumstance can children under the age of 14 be employed by the
University. The only time a child under the age of 14 can be employed by anyone
is in the case of a family-owned business.
Children between the ages of 14 and 15 years old
- May not work before 7:00 a.m. or later than 9:00 p.m. and no more than 8 hours per
day or 40 hours per week during the summer. When school is in session, they
may not work more than 18 hours per week or 3 hours per day.
- May not be employed in jobs where they use power tools including lawn mowers and
weed eaters. They may not work in construction, including remodeling; manufacturing;
warehousing; as a public messenger; operate hoisting machinery or power driven machinery;
public utilities, or transportation. They additionally may not work in or
on scaffolding, excavation, soldering, laundering machines or with poisonous acids,
gases or chemicals.
Any teen who is 14 or 15 years of age must obtain a work permit issued by
the Arkansas Department of Labor prior to beginning work.
Children between the ages of 16 and 17 years old
- May not work before 6:00 a.m. or more than 10 hours per day or 54 hours per week
during the summer. When school is in session, they may not work later than
11:00 p.m.
- May not work in jobs operating motor vehicles, operating wood working machines;
operating power driven bakery machines; operating meat slicers; operating power
driven paper product machines, roofing operations; excavation or demolition.
If you need additional information, you can contact the Department of Labor at 501-682-4500.