By removing all previous restrictions for youth ages 16-17, they would be able to work more than 8-hour shifts before school, between 11:00 pm and 6:30 am on school nights, more than 30 hours a week when school is in session, and more than four hours without a break. Furthermore, protections for many youths under age 16 would be removed. Even 14- and 15-year-olds could work more than the 15 hour a week restriction if they had GEDs, were homeschooled, or graduated high school.
Florida must not further erode protections and instead should prioritize policies to strike the necessary balance between gaining work experience and education to become economically stable in the long term. HB 1225 and SB 918 would undo decades of these vital protections for Florida’s children, catalyzing increased exploitation of youth workers in Florida.
This legislation attempts to exploit teenagers to counter the reduction of low-wage workers that has occurred from the state’s ongoing anti-immigration legislation. Teen workers are not the answer to ongoing labor issues and goals to build a stronger economy.
Teens aged 16-17 lack the maturity to gauge appropriate work environments, thus allowing them to be exposed to dangerous work conditions and exploitation. Teens may not understand labor laws and their rights as workers, and even if placed in unsafe work conditions they may be reluctant to express their concerns. Florida benefits from a well-educated workforce and this legislation is directly contrary to that goal. When work responsibilities become more important than school responsibilities, teens will choose work over school and drop out, thus hindering their future lives and earning potential. And 15-17-year-old minors may end up making adult decisions regarding their future, even as brain research shows they lack the ability to do so. Join us in stopping the elimination of Child Labor Laws that GFWC has fought so long and hard to put in place.