What Teenagers Need to Know Before Accepting a Summer Job

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS) — It's officially summer and school is out, which means some teens might be looking for ways to make money during these summer months.

There are, however, certain steps and laws that teenagers should keep in mind before applying.

While children 16 and older are covered by the U.S. Department of Labor, the Illinois Department of Labor reminds teens under 16 of certain rights they have before accepting employment as a child laborer. summer.

If your teenager is under 16 years old, a work certificate is required.

“They need their birth certificate and they can see their issuing manager at their school,” said Susie Reynolds, manager of the fair labor standards division at IDOL.

This is when parents or guardians will need to get involved.

“They will also require their parents' signature,” Reynolds said, “at which point the issuing officer can review the form, it is the best place to determine if the child is physically fit to work, making sure it will not interfere with their educational requirements,” Reynolds said.

Once this certificate is obtained, your teenager must know certain rules before accepting a job.

Knights Action Park in Springfield primarily hires high school students, and there are some jobs that those under 16 cannot do.

“They can't be near chemicals, they can't be in equipment buildings, they can't be spread out on the water slides,” said Doug Knight, general manager of Knights Action Park.

Other laws apply to those under 16: they cannot work anywhere alcohol is served, they must be paid at least $12 an hour, and they can only work limited hours .

“Making sure they get their 30-minute break, if they work more than five hours,” Reynolds said, “they're not allowed to work before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m. on a night of school, and from June 1 until Labor Day they are allowed to work until 9 p.m.

Failure to do so can expose businesses to certain penalties and fines, but it is important to provide these opportunities to teenagers.

“They have to learn work ethic and do all these things to go on and find their dream job,” Knight said.

Knight also added that they hire over 200 people over the summer, so it's important to get that application in early and come in person and dressed professionally.

If a child notices that any of these rules are not being followed in their workplace, they are encouraged to contact IDOL.