FLSA - Child Labor Rules

In most instances, because the youth you are interested in is younger than 12 years old, he or she may not work in agriculture on a farm. However, if a farm is not required to pay the minimum wage under the FLSA, the youth is allowed to work on that farm. Generally, a farm that does not have to pay the minimum wage is one that is small and does not have very many workers. You may need to check this out with the farm owner before you decide whether the youth should be working there.

If it is an exempt (i.e., small) farm, the youth may only work during hours when school is not in session, and must have his or her parent's permission to be employed. Also, there are some dangerous jobs that the youth may not do. The Secretary of Labor has found that these jobs are too hazardous for anyone under 16 years of age. These dangerous jobs are listed on the next page.

Please note that the FLSA child labor rules are the same for all youth, migrant children as well as local resident children.

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