E-Alerts

Massachusetts Teens Can Now Work Later Under New Child Labor Law

On his final day in office, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney signed into law a new child labor law (Chapter 426 of the Acts of 2006), which allows sixteen (16) and seventeen (17) year old minors to work later on weekends and during school vacations. The new law, which is effective immediately, extends the hours that sixteen (16) and seventeen (17) year olds can work on non-school nights from 10:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. (The existing exemptions for restaurants and racetracks, permitting minors to work until midnight on non-school nights, remain unchanged). Under the new law, a business that stops serving customers at 10:00 p.m. may not employ a minor worker later than 10:15 p.m.

The new law also: (1) prohibits, with some limited exceptions, the employment of any minor after 8:00 p.m. absent “the direct and immediate supervision of an adult acting in a supervisory capacity” and (2) prohibits the employment of a minor in any job requiring possession or use of a firearm.

The Attorney General is empowered, under the new law, to impose civil fines on offending employers, ranging from $250 for the first violation to $500 for a second violation and $2,500 for each subsequent violation.

Massachusetts employers should consider updating their practices, employee handbooks and/or managers’ guides to reflect these revisions to Massachusetts’ child labor law.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or if we can be of assistance in ensuring compliance with this new law or the child labor laws in any other state.