It’s the prime time of the year for children to be working, but there are laws limiting what they can do, and when. The laws change after school lets out about the first of June. Tighter limits go into effect afterLabor day. The Director of the State Division of Labor Standards, Colleen Baker, points out the law says children younger than 16 cannot work more than 40 hours a week, no more than eight hours a day, and must put in their time between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.. Those are the summer hours. The law limits youngsters to 18 hours a week during the school year. And, some jobs are off limits. Children cannot have jobs exposing them to toxic or hazardouschemicals or in places where alcohol is sold unless at least half the gross sales come from food. And, there’s a ban on working with machinery, but it does not keep children from mowing yards for fun and profit. Baker saysthere’s also a minimum age. Children as young as 12 or 13 are allowed to baby sit or deliver newspapers. They also can do nonhazardous agricultural work.
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