Persons under the age of eighteen are considered minors whose employment is subject to the Child Labor Law and the New York State Department of Labor's regulations.
The basic requirements are that employment of minors must be properly documented and restricted to certain periods of time and types of occupations.
The operating location must have on file an unexpired employment certificate, also known as a "working paper," for employees under the age of eighteen. This certificate must be an original document.
Under the law and regulations, restrictions on the employment of persons under the age of eighteen apply to two areas:
Federal and state laws prohibit children under eighteen years of age from performing certain kinds of jobs because of the hazards involved.
Such jobs include:
Additional job restrictions apply to fourteen and fifteen-year-olds.
Given the complexity of the laws, operating locations should consult with the Central Office of Employee Services (OES) before hiring a minor. OES will work with the operating location, the Research Foundation's Office of Legal Affairs, and the State Labor Department's Division of Labor Standards (if necessary) to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
For more information, see STATE PROHIBITED OCCUPATIONS and FEDERAL PROHIBITED OCCUPATIONS on the New York State (NYS) Department of Labor Web site at https://www.labor.state.ny.us.
The number of hours per day, hours per week, and days per week that a minor is allowed to work depends on
The following tables contain information about the hours and days of work allowed for a minor attending school when school is in session and when it is not:
Age of Minor |
Maximum Daily Hours on School Days |
Maximum Daily Hours on Other Than School Days |
Other Restrictions |
Maximum Weekly Hours |
Maximum Days per Week |
14 or 15 |
3 |
8 |
May not work between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. |
18 |
6 |
16 or 17 |
4 |
8 |
May not work between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. |
28 |
6 |
Age of Minor |
Maximum Daily Hours |
Other Restrictions |
Maximum Weekly Hours |
Maximum Days per Week |
14 or 15 |
8 |
May not work between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. |
40 |
6 |
16 or 17 |
8 |
May not work between midnight and 6 a.m. |
48 |
6 |
The following table provides information about the hours and days of work allowed for a minor not attending school:
Age of Minor |
Maximum Daily Hours |
Other Restrictions |
Maximum Weekly Hours |
Maximum Days per Week |
16 or 17 |
8 |
May not work between midnight and 6 a.m. |
48 |
6 |
The total hours of employment for a minor must not exceed the maximums allowed by law.
Therefore, it is important that operating locations that hire minors make an effort to determine whether the minors are also employed elsewhere, and if so, to ensure that the total hours worked by the minor for all his or her employers are within the legal limits.
Note: To help monitor the hours worked by minors, operating locations should use the query and reporting features of the computerized business system.
The Research Foundation operations manager is responsible for ensuring that
The director of the Office of Employee Services is responsible for ensuring that
For more information, see Laws Governing the Employment of Minors on the NYS Department of Labor Web site at https://www.labor.state.ny.us/html/workprot/minors.htm.