Hiring Teenagers? Child Labor Compliance Needs More Than a Work Permit

Teen workers can be a fantastic addition to restaurants, retail businesses, bakeries, hospitality operations, and other organizations struggling to fill entry-level positions. But employers cannot treat minors like smaller versions of adult employees. Federal and state laws place specific restrictions on how young an employee may be, when the employee may work, and what work the employee may perform.

The Department of Labor reinforced that point in an August 4, 2026 enforcement announcement involving three San Antonio bakery and café locations. The DOL reported child labor and wage violations, including employment of a 13-year-old and impermissible work hours involving a 15-year-old. The employer ultimately paid back wages and penalties totaling about $45,000.

For employers, the case is a reminder that child labor compliance cannot live solely in an onboarding file.

An employer may properly verify an employee’s age on day one and still violate the law three months later when a supervisor schedules that employee too late, assigns a prohibited task, or asks the minor to cover for an absent adult employee.

Federal child labor requirements under the FLSA establish age-based restrictions for nonagricultural employment, including limits affecting younger employees’ hours and occupations. State child labor laws may impose additional or more protective requirements.

Best Practices for Employers

The strongest approach is to build the employee’s age directly into the scheduling and management process.

HR should maintain an accurate list of all employees under 18 and, where applicable, distinguish employees who are 14 or 15 from those who are 16 or 17. Scheduling managers should not have to remember the rules from memory. Configure scheduling software to flag or block shifts that violate applicable hour restrictions whenever possible.

Employers should also create an age-based prohibited-duties matrix. This is especially important in restaurants, bakeries, warehouses, construction operations, manufacturing, landscaping, and other environments where equipment or job duties may be restricted for minors.

Multi-location employers need centralized oversight. A teenager working at Location A on Monday and Location B later in the week should not disappear into two separate management silos.

And beware of informality. “She’s the owner’s niece,” “He’s just helping for a few hours,” and “She volunteered to stay late” are not compliance exemptions.

What Employers Should Do Next

Run a minor-employee audit now. Identify every worker under 18 and confirm age documentation, job duties, scheduled hours, actual hours worked, and the equipment each employee uses.

Then review federal requirements alongside the law of every state where minors work. Do not assume a scheduling practice that is legal for a 17-year-old is also legal for a 15-year-old.

Finally, train frontline supervisors. They are usually the people making real-time decisions about staying late, covering shifts, cleaning equipment, or changing assignments.

Hiring teenagers can absolutely work. The key is designing the compliance controls before the Friday-night rush when someone says, “Can you stay another couple of hours?” That is usually when good intentions and wage-and-hour law start having an awkward little meeting.