Legal Age to Work in Oregon

Minimum Age to Work in OR

Oregon (OR) Quick Reference Table

Oregon Child Labor Laws

Employing Minors in Oregon
The Bureau of Labor and Industries, or BOLI, establishes the state regulations for child labor in Oregon. The minimum age for work in most occupations generally stands at fourteen, and minors are able to join the workforce without a permit. Instead, Labor provisions require employers to verify the age of each juvenile with proper documentation, such as a passport or birth certificate before hiring. In rare cases, when the Fair Labor Standards Act, or FLSA, does not pertain to the type of employment, companies may hire minors under 14 with special approval and certificates obtained through the BOLI.

• Do you need a work permit during summer?

Work permits are unnecessary for Oregon minors looking for employment, even for summertime work.

• Where can I get a work permit besides school?

Since kids must be at least 14 to get a job, proof of age documents such as birth certificates, passports, baptismal and school records serve as work papers.

• How do I get a work permit during summer?

  • Teens must apply for jobs that are available for their age group.
  • Upon receiving an offer, minors should provide their new employer with a copy of their official proof of age document.
  • Paperwork must remain on file at the work location throughout the minors employment.

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Work Hours

14 and 15 year olds in Oregon must comply with several provisions for labor times. Laws for school weeks forbid work more than 3 hours a day and 18 a week, with no labor occurring during class times. Non-school weeks allow 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. Work may only occur between 7:00am and 7:00pm, except between June 1 and Labor Day, when the evening deadline extends to 9:00 pm.

Once an individual turns 16, most limitations on hours cease to apply. The exception stands as the 44-hour maximum for work in one week. Meal breaks of at least 30 minutes remain mandatory for minors working more than six hours at a time. 15 minute paid rest periods must stay available to individuals for each period of work up to and exceeding four hours.

Prohibited Hazardous Occupations

Restricted Work for Teens Under 18
Many occupations, such as newspaper carrying and household work in private domestic homes stand exempt from child labor laws. Conversely, other jobs remain too dangerous for any person under the age of eighteen to legally hold the position. The following list contains many of the work activities the BOLI specifies as restricted:

• Work with Power-Driven Machinery
• Operating Bakery Equipment
• Logging/Sawmill
• Work Relating to Forest Fires
• Roofing
• Excavation in Trenches over 4 Feet
• Work with Explosives/Demolitions/Wrecking
• Slaughtering/Meat Packing
• Work with Saws/Nail Guns
• Mining
• Manufacturing of Brick/Tile
• Exposure to Radioactive Substances

Prohibited Jobs for 14 and 15 Year Olds
For juveniles under the age of 16, work options bear further limitations. With less experience than older workers, younger individuals need more careful restrictions to reduce or eliminate the possibility of injury or harm on the jobsite. Jobs that are too hazardous for fourteen and fifteen year olds include:

• Manufacturing/Processing
• Workshop/Warehouse Jobs
• Work on Boats/Docks
• Construction
• Door-to-Door Sales
• Pressure Washing
• Cooking with an Open Flame/Bakery Oven
• Work with Golf Carts
• Lumber Loading
• Land Clearing
• Washing/Loading/Unloading Trucks
• Wood Cutting/Sawing
• Work on Ladders/Scaffolding
• Work in Grain Elevators
• Welding/Soldering
• Work in Commercial Laundries
• Surveying
• Amusement Park Work
• Gravel/Sand Plant Work
• Power Mowing/Cutting/Blowing

Special Cases
Several exceptions to labor laws exist, which allow certain individuals to work in otherwise unavailable occupations. Messenger services bear limiting provisions only between the hours of 10:00pm and 5:00am for sixteen and seventeen year olds. Some jobs that require the use of  power-driven tools and machines stand unrestricted to 16 and 17 year olds. Under specific conditions, motor vehicle operation is available to 17 year old individuals, as well. In work settings other than auto junk dealerships, water works, and lumber yards, employment carries no restrictions for minors. As long as the work takes place in front of a public business, juveniles may also labor as sandwich-board wavers. Once a minor reaches 15 years of age, lifeguard positions become available with appropriate training and certification. Generally, children may work at any age in most occupations if they are under the direct supervision of their parent, who is also their employer.

Youth camps with non-profit standing may employ minors without minimum wage stipulations or restrictions on the hours of individuals over 15. Children under 16 follow the same work rules that apply during non-school weeks, with the extension of start and end times to 6:00am and 10:00pm, respectively. Entertainment jobs, relating to performing, acting, modeling, or singing, stand open to all minors except babies under 15 days old. Employers in the field may forgo annual employment certificates by registering with the BOLI.

School/Training Exceptions
The Oregon BOLI allows some exemptions to labor laws for minors in, apprenticeships, student learner programs, and school-to-work options. Teens in these programs are exempt from certain hazardous work restrictions such as:

• Power-driven Woodworking Machinery Operations
• Power-driven Metalworking Machinery Operations
• Slaughtering/Meat Processing
• Work with Power-driven Paper Products Machinery
• Operation of Power Saw/Shears
• Roofing
• Excavation

Agricultural Jobs for Minors in Oregon

Legal Requirements for Teen Farm Workers
The State of Oregon upholds separate regulations and standards for farming work. Children between the ages nine and eleven usually work in hand-harvesting occupations with parental consent. Written permission also qualifies minors 12 and 13 years of age to work outside of school hours. While employees typically must take breaks free of all duties, in the event of urgent work demands, juveniles 16 and up may work through lunch periods, provided employers still pay the workers during the reprieves. Every four hours, supervisors must also allow children a separate and paid break of 15 minutes.

Laborers under 16 may work up to six days a week, 10 hours on a non-school day, or three hours on a school day. Minors are unable to remain on the clock for more than 18 hours during a school week or 60 during a non-academic week. If over 16, their only restrictions involve operating power-driven machinery, working more than 25 hours a week during academic sessions or 60 hours a week otherwise. Meal periods of up to 30 minutes stand required for minors working more than five hours.

Restricted Agricultural Occupations
Forbidden duties for 14 and 15 year old employed in farming occupations include:

• Work in Grain Warehouses
• Cattle Handling
• Well Digging
• Work in Feed Mills with Power-driven Machinery
• Work in Flour Mills with Power-driven Machinery

Provisions for Farming Employers
Rules for agricultural employers in Oregon run lenient. Normally, agricultural employees must earn minimum wage or better; however, exceptions apply as listed on the BOLI website. Piece-rate pay scales, for example, apply in hand-picking occupations traditionally recognized as conducting business in such manners as long as minors make the same rate as adults. In addition, farms utilizing less than 500 man days in the previous year, range production employees for livestock, and immediate family members of employers remain exempt from minimum wage regulations. Employers must possess annual work certificates only if minors shall work using or relating to power-driven machinery.

source: Oregon child labor laws