Many teenagers across Indiana are industrious and want to earn money with summer jobs. As a parent – or as an employer- you should know Indiana law targets regulations that protect kids from performing hazardous work.
The Indiana Department of Labor Youth Employment Division monitors and enforces Indiana youth employment laws. Here is a link to their website where you can learn more specific information about child labor laws https://www.in.gov/dol/youth-employment/youth-employment-home/. Whether it’s a summer job or year-round employment, parents and employers should learn what’s legal – and illegal – when employing minors.
For instance, if your child is under 16 years old, here are places and types of work they can NOT legally perform. Some of them might surprise you! Factory work, mining, operate power driven machinery, cooking / baking, meat coolers or cold storage rooms, meat processing, warehouses, holding signs for advertising or waving banners, wear costumes for advertising, construction / demolition / repair work, window washing or using ladders and scaffolding, roofing.
If a minor under 16 years old suffers an injury doing any of this work, the employer’s legal liability is subject to extra penalty under the Indiana Worker’s Compensation law. You can research even more specific information about child labor in the Indiana Code 22-2-18.1-23 Minors working in hazardous occupations prohibited. http://iga.in.gov/legislative/laws/2021/ic/titles/022#22-8
Here are hazardous jobs the law prohibits 16 and 17-year-old kids from doing: working around explosives, radioactive substances or toxic material; operating cranes; operating metal fabricating machines; using saws, blades or woodchippers; roofing, excavation or demolition; operating balers, compactors or paper production machines.
Over time, we’ve helped young clients hurt doing summer jobs. Their immigration status does not prevent them from making legal claims. We don’t want our kids getting hurt. They need to learn safety and watch the right way to conduct business. When an accident does happen, I’ll fight to protect your claim. If you or someone you know suffers an injury at work, contact our attorneys at Goodin Abernathy – we’ll protect your legal rights!