Child Labor Laws

Ohio’s full Child Labor Regulation can be found in the Ohio Revised Code - Title 41 Labor and Industry - Chapter 4109 - Employment Of Minors 

"MINOR" MEANS ANY PERSON LESS THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE

REQUIREMENTS:

● WORKING PERMIT: Every minor 14 through 17 years of age must have a working permit which can be obtained through the school. 16 and 17 year olds can be employed during the summer without this.

● WAGE AGREEMENT: No employer shall give employment to a minor without agreeing with him/her as to the wages or compensation he/she shall receive for each day, week, month, year or per piece for work performed.

● REST PERIOD: No employer shall employ a minor more than 5 consecutive hours without a rest period of at least 30 minutes.

● LIST OF MINORS EMPLOYED: Employer shall keep a list of minors employed at each establishment and a list must be posted in a conspicuous place to which all minor employees have access.

● TIME RECORDS: Every employer shall keep a time book or other written record showing actual starting and stopping time of each work and rest period. These records must be kept for two (2) years.

RESTRICTIONS ON WORKING HOURS FOR MINORS 14 and 15 YEARS OF AGE:

No person under 16 shall be employed:

1. During school hours except where specifically permitted by Chapter 4109

2. Before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m. from June 1st to September 1st or during any school holiday of 5 school days or more; or after 7 p.m. at any other time

3. For more than 3 hours a day in any school day

4. For more than 18 hours in any school week

5. For more than 8 hours in any day when school is not in session

6. For more than 40 hours in any week that school is not in session nor during school hours, unless employment is incidental to bona fide programs of vocational cooperative training, work-study, or other work-oriented programs with the purpose of educating students, and the program meets standards established by the state board of education.

RESTRICTIONS ON WORKING HOURS FOR MINORS 16 and 17 YEARS OF AGE:

No person 16 or 17 who is required to attend school shall be employed:

1. Before 7 a.m. on any day that school is in session or 6 a.m. if the person was not employed after 8 p.m. the previous night.

2. After 11 p.m. on any night preceding a day that school is in session.

PROHIBITED OCCUPATIONS FOR MINORS 14 through 17 YEARS OF AGE:

1. Occupations involving slaughtering, meat-packing, processing or rendering

2. Power-driven bakery machines

3. Occupations involved in the manufacture of brick, tile and kindred products

4. Occupations involved in the manufacture of chemicals

5. Manufacturing or storage occupations involving explosives

6. Occupations involving exposure to radioactive substances and to ionizing radiations

7. Power-driven paper products machines

8. Power-driven metal forming, punching and shearing machines

9. Occupations involved in the operation of power-driven circular saws, band saws and guillotine shears

10. Power-driven woodworking machines

11. Coal mines

12. Occupations in connection with mining, other than coal

13. Logging and sawmilling

14. Motor vehicle occupations

15. Maritime and longshoreman occupations

16. Railroads

17. Excavation operations

18. Power-driven and hoisting apparatus

19. Roofing operations

20. Wrecking, demolition, and shipbreaking.

PROHIBITED OCCUPATIONS FOR MINORS UNDER 16 YEARS OF AGE :

1. All manufacturing; mining; processing; public messenger service

2. Work in freezers and meat coolers and all preparation of meats for sale (except wrapping, sealing, labeling, weighing, pricing and stocking)

3. Transportation; storage; communications; public utilities; construction; repair

4. Work in boiler or engine rooms; maintenance or repair of machinery

5. Outside window washing from window sills or scaffolding and/or ladders

6. Cooking and baking; operating, setting up, adjusting, cleaning, oiling or repairing power-driven food slicers, grinders, food choppers, cutters, bakery type mixers

7. Loading or unloading goods to and from trucks

8. All warehouse work except office and clerical

9. Work in connection with cars and trucks involving the use of pits, racks or lifting apparatus or involving the inflation of any tire mounted on a rim equipped with a removable retaining ring