U.S. Child Labor Violations Found In The Retail And Service Industry

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 16 Jul 2008 - 16:00 PDT

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Results from this study found that a substantial proportion of U.S. adolescents working in the retail and service industry were employed in violation of the child labor laws. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 limits the types of jobs youths ages 14 to 17 are allowed to perform, the number of hours they may devote to work, and the timing of these hours.

The child labor provisions of this act were created to limit work's interference with youths' schooling and to minimize their health and safety risks. Contemporary studies have found that adolescents working more than 20 hours per week during the school year can experience several negative health behaviors and decrements to mental health. In addition, surveillance data show that hundreds of thousands of adolescents are injured at work as a result of performing hazardous tasks.

Data for this study were obtained through a survey of a nationally representative sample of working adolescents, and the study investigated reports of select child labor violations. Approximately 37 percent of respondents reported a violation of the Hazardous Occupations Orders, and 40 percent reported a work permit violation. Less than 2 percent reported working more than the maximum weekly hours allowed during the school year, yet 11 percent reported working past the latest hour allowed on a school night, and 15 percent reported working off the clock.

"Further research on child labor violations should examine more carefully how shifts in enforcement activities over the past decade are affecting the detection of violations and the safety of young workers." The study's authors urge, "More-detailed research on the reasons for employer noncompliance will help inform and direct future enforcement efforts." [From: "US Child Labor Violations in the Retail and Service Industries: Findings of a National Survey of Working Adolescents."].

The American Journal of Public Health is the monthly Journal of the American Public Health Association (APHA), the oldest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world. APHA is a leading publisher of books and periodicals promoting sound scientific standards, action programs and public policy to enhance health.

American Journal of Public Health