Hiring a minor - a question about the rules

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Mr. Serious

Mr. Serious

Senior Member
Location
Oklahoma, USA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
I interviewed this guy I thought was 18, and he mentioned he was only 17. I told him I'd have to check if I'm allowed to hire a 17 year old for an electrician job. He'll be an apprentice.

I checked the laws, and from what I'm seeing, 16 and 17 year olds can work as an electrician, but they just can't do certain things. The major prohibitions applicable to this job are: operate any type of power saw, operate or ride on any type of lift or hoist, and work on or near a rooftop. I see that a lot of the bigger companies don't hire under age 18, perhaps just because it's hard to keep the employee from ever doing one of the prohibited things.

Many other states have their own restrictions, but my state does not. So it would be only the federal Department of Labor restrictions:
Fact sheet with list of 17 things that you can't do as a 16 or 17 year old in the United States (non-agricultural work).
The same list, with pictures.

So I've hired him for one day of work already. A question came up when I shared with him that he isn't allowed to operate a lift. He says he has his certification for that already. I see that there are exceptions to some of these rules for minors "enrolled in approved programs." I was going to ask if he can operate a lift while working for me if he got certified through such a program. But the DOL fact sheet seems to indicate that there is no exception at all to the ban on using lifts. If that's so, then whoever gave him his lift certification must have been violating the law, and he's still not allowed to operate or ride on a lift before he's 18.
 
That's true - he turns 18 on only 5 months, so it seems pretty easy just to play it safe for that long and make sure to follow all those rules, and any other ones I can think of!
 
I would hire him and keep him away from those prohibitions the best you can. Hard to get hurt drilling holes but he shouldn't need to use a power saw or get on a roof.
 
blueheels2 said:
In NC I don’t think I can hire anyone under 18 to do electrical. Not even my sons and that sucks.
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When I hired someone it was many years ago and it had the same restrictions as the op mentioned . However you @blueheels2 are correct

Nine Detrimental Occupations: In addition to the seventeen hazardous occupations prohibited to youths under 18 years of age by federal law, the N.C. commissioner of labor has adopted regulations identifying nine detrimental occupations in which youths under 18 may not be employed:​

1. Welding, brazing and torch cutting
2. Any processes where quartz or any other form of silicon dioxide or asbestos silicate is present in powdered form.
3. Any work involving exposure to lead or any of its compounds in any form.
4. At any work involving exposure to benzene or any benzene compound that is volatile or can penetrate the skin.
5. Occupations in canneries, seafood and poultry processing that involve cutting or slicing machines, or freezing or packaging activities.
6. Any work which involves the risk of falling a distance of 10 feet or more, including ladders and scaffolds.
7. Any work as an electrician or electrician’s helper.
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I remember working construction one summer before being 18. The GC asked me to move the dump truck closer to the house he was rehabing so less of the shingles we were stripping off the roof fell in the yard. I said to him...well sure, I haven't driven a dump truck before, but I'm game to try if you are...he moved it himself.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
Nine Detrimental Occupations: In addition to the seventeen hazardous occupations prohibited to youths under 18 years of age by federal law, the N.C. commissioner of labor has adopted regulations identifying nine detrimental occupations in which youths under 18 may not be employed:

1. Welding, brazing and torch cutting
2. Any processes where quartz or any other form of silicon dioxide or asbestos silicate is present in powdered form.
3. Any work involving exposure to lead or any of its compounds in any form.
4. At any work involving exposure to benzene or any benzene compound that is volatile or can penetrate the skin.
5. Occupations in canneries, seafood and poultry processing that involve cutting or slicing machines, or freezing or packaging activities.
6. Any work which involves the risk of falling a distance of 10 feet or more, including ladders and scaffolds.
7. Any work as an electrician or electrician’s helper.
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That is just terrible. I was heavily involved in 1, 3, possibly 4, 6, and 7 long before the magic 18.

Back in those days, they had occupational programs that would get you experience (unpaid) as a high school course. Two guys I know have been in the field since they were teenagers and own their own business.

Not really possible now.
 
Birken Vogt said:
That is just terrible. I was heavily involved in 1, 3, possibly 4, 6, and 7 long before the magic 18.

Back in those days, they had occupational programs that would get you experience (unpaid) as a high school course. Two guys I know have been in the field since they were teenagers and own their own business.

Not really possible now.
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No wonder we have kids who think video games are a genuine hobby they've never gotten to do something real themselves.
 
There are people who want to reduce the labor force because they think that will increase wages for those remaining.

About the only thing you can work on under 18 is less desirable jobs like agriculture and fast food and retail. There really isn't a lot of potential for advancement in agriculture. Fast food and retail has a lot more potential for advancement than most people think and management is paid pretty well in those industries.

They're just aren't many options for getting into the trades or manufacturing these days for teenagers. I worked one summer in a heat treat plant. Those kinds of things just don't happen much anymore.

I knew other teenagers my age that worked in construction during the summer. You don't see much of that anymore either.
 
I started working in my grandfather's shop when I was so young I can't remember it. He dealt in used equipment and machinery. My mom said I was still in diapers and she couldn't get them clean because of the dirt and grease. I remember loving to play with the chain hoist, and the chains were really greasy lol.

None of this was that unusual at the time, lots of kids in our social circle were doing the same kind of stuff. The kid whose dad owned the welding shop could stick weld and I mean stick weld and lay down a beautiful bead when he was in his single digit years.

Now they have to be 18 to use a drill. It's no wonder I see the absolute stupidity going on out in the field, it's full of guys who never built a fort in the woods or fixed a flat on their bicycle
 
Well, the 17-year-old I hired ended up being pretty good, when he made it to work. I taught him a few basic code things, but he has solid electrical knowledge already. But he worked for me for two weeks and only managed to put in 18 hours total. It wasn't supposed to be full time, but he could have had double that if he had shown up every time when he said he would. Then he complained about it being too much driving for too little pay, but he's the one that decided to drive to a job site half a day late and therefore cut his hours relative to the amount of driving he did. He also drove 25 miles to get his paycheck instead of waiting and picking it up at the job site the next day like everyone else did. I thought I should just let him make that mistake and learn from it, but then his transmission blew up and he found another job within walking distance of his house so that he can make money to get a working car again.

Many people would say "he just doesn't want to work," but I don't think it's that. He just has too many family obligations and probably underestimated the driving distance/time from his house to the area where my house and our jobs were.
 
Mr. Serious said:
I interviewed this guy I thought was 18, and he mentioned he was only 17. I told him I'd have to check if I'm allowed to hire a 17 year old for an electrician job. He'll be an apprentice.

I checked the laws, and from what I'm seeing, 16 and 17 year olds can work as an electrician, but they just can't do certain things. The major prohibitions applicable to this job are: operate any type of power saw, operate or ride on any type of lift or hoist, and work on or near a rooftop. I see that a lot of the bigger companies don't hire under age 18, perhaps just because it's hard to keep the employee from ever doing one of the prohibited things.

Many other states have their own restrictions, but my state does not. So it would be only the federal Department of Labor restrictions:
Fact sheet with list of 17 things that you can't do as a 16 or 17 year old in the United States (non-agricultural work).
The same list, with pictures.

So I've hired him for one day of work already. A question came up when I shared with him that he isn't allowed to operate a lift. He says he has his certification for that already. I see that there are exceptions to some of these rules for minors "enrolled in approved programs." I was going to ask if he can operate a lift while working for me if he got certified through such a program. But the DOL fact sheet seems to indicate that there is no exception at all to the ban on using lifts. If that's so, then whoever gave him his lift certification must have been violating the law, and he's still not allowed to operate or ride on a lift before he's 18.
Click to expand...
I operated a lift when I was 15. Not regulated like cdl. If he has the training and a previous experience. Most state wouldn't have a problem. I'm sure he is better than mine..
 
letgomywago said:
No wonder we have kids who think video games are a genuine hobby they've never gotten to do something real themselves.
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Its normal for kids to have video games as a hobby.. The real problem is adults who think its a sport- or thinks it makes them a pro racer or a weapons expert...
 
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