Table of Contents

Letter from AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney

Introduction

Work and Today's Youth

Unions and School-to-Work

Questions and Answers

Alternate Funding Sources

Online Resources

Bibliography

Q. I have just been hired to work in a bakery and have been asked to fill in for one of the assistant bakers who is out sick. I do not know the first thing about baking. Is this OK?

A. No. Since baking and other food processing can be especially dangerous, minors are not allowed under child labor laws to operate bakery equipment and other power driven machinery. However, you can use equipment like dishwashers, toasters, coffee grinders, and milkshake blenders.

Q. I have worked in an office for two years as a file clerk and have not received a raise. I just found out that another file clerk makes more than I do. She was hired after I was. Is this fair?

A. Well, it may not be fair, but it is legal. You must be paid at least minimum wage. Anything above that is up to your employer, unless you have a contract negotiated between your union and your employer. Contracts cover wages, seniority, and other workplace issues.

Q. I work in an office and sometimes I hear my boss talking about me in a way that makes me feel uncomfortable. He’s also asked me out. I do not want to go out with him but I am worried about my job. What can I do?

A. You have the right to a safe workplace and this includes protection from sexual harassment. Your employer must protect you from a “hostile environment,” so try talking to your shop steward or other adult that you trust. Or call the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission.

Q. I was recently hired to work as a hostess in a restaurant. I was told the clothes I wore to work were inappropriate, and if I did not follow the dress code, I would be fired. Can I be fired for what I wear to work?

A. Yes. In most states, employment is “at will” and employers have a lot of freedom in hiring—and firing—decisions. However, many union contracts say that you can only be fired for bad performance, not because of your clothes or whether or not the boss likes you.

Q. I have been asked to clean out a supply room in the basement. Many of the containers are unlabeled and look like they could have dangerous chemicals in them. Should I be working with these chemicals?

A. No. Under the “Right to Know” Act, your employer is required to identify all hazardous chemicals and train employees in how to work with them. And, if you are under 18, you are not allowed to work with chemicals that require protective clothing or that would expose you to bodily fluids and radioactive or hazardous substances.

Q. I am 15 and was recently turned down for a job because they said I was too young. Is this not age discrimination?

A. No. The laws that keep minors from working in dangerous occupations were passed to protect you from injury. However, you cannot be turned down or fired because of your race, religion sex, national origin, or disability.

Q. I have been asked to work until midnight on weekends but am the only one on duty. I do not feel safe by myself at night. Can I ask for someone to be assigned to work with me?

A. Absolutely. After 8:00 pm in retail businesses like stores and restaurants, an adult must supervise minors.

Q. I work for a grocery store and some of my friends have been hurt using a
broken meat slicer. My boss has not fixed it and has said that those who were injured were just not being “careful.”

A. This sounds like a dangerous situation for many of your fellow employees and nothing is being done about it. Although it is always good to talk to your employer first, if you are afraid of being fired, you can talk to someone at your state or local labor/industry department directly and you do not have to give them your name.

Adapted from Help Wanted, Teens on the Job: A Guide to Your Rights,
produced by the King County (WA) Labor Council and the Seattle Public Schools.