FOLLOW OHIO’S LABOR LAWS

Fit zpatrick Completes 18 Year Tenure as FOLLOW OHIO’S LABOR LAWS Farm Bureau Director

By | Jill Sell FREE LANCE WRITER KENT-RAVENNA RECORD COURIER

IF HIRING TEENS THIS YEAR

NOR MALL Y SUMMER is a time when many teens seek temporary employment. The most coveted jobs (at least from the standpoint of a young person looking for fun and a way to meet other teens, as well as a paycheck) may not be available this year. Because of COV ID-19 shutdowns, seasonal employment at amusement parks, community recreation centers, summer camps and local and regional parks may be delayed or not happening at all.

But some teens, particularly those needing a personal income, are saving for college expenses or who want to help their family hard hit by unemployment, are still job hunting. And that 18 | SUMMER 2020 includes for agricultural work. Farmers and growers need to know the laws pertaining to young workers.

The State of Ohio’s Minor Labor Laws (“minor” defined as a person less than 18 years old) are very specific and include occupations in agriculture that are “particularly hazardous for the employment of children below the age of 16.”

For those teens, operating or assisting to operate many types of farm machinery is prohibited, including tractors over 20 PTO horsepower, corn pickers, hay mowers, potato diggers, auger conveyors, grain combine, mobile pea viner, power

Also, those under 16 also should not work “on a farm in a yard, pen or stalled occupied” by: a bull, boar or stud horse maintained for breeding purposes; sow with suckling pigs; or cow with newborn calf (with umbilical cord present). In addition, working from a ladder more than 20 feet in height is prohibited, as is working inside a manure pit or an upright silo within two weeks after silage has been added or when a top-loading device is in the operating position.

The prohibitions above do not apply to minors under 18 if working on farms operated by their parents, grandparents or legal guardians. Certain 4-H federal extension training programs, as well as some U.S. Office of Education vo-ed programs for children 14 and 15, also have exemptions. For a complete list of hazardous agricultural occupations, see The Wage and Hour section of the Ohio Administrative Code (4101:9), which can be found online. In addition, all teens 14 through 17 must have a working permit. Employers must keep written records of starting, stopping and rest times for minor workers. Fines may be levied if employers do not obey the laws.

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Many Amish teens from farming families will continue to work their family land this year, but not all. Brian Bohnert, public information officer for the Ohio Department of Commerce, said minor labor laws are “a bit different” for Amish youth.

“Since Amish students get a certificate of completion when they finish eighth grade, they are not able to obtain a traditional work permit,” said Bohnert. “As a result, our office worked with the Amish community nearly 25 years ago to put together a formal agreement, which we updated in partnership last fall. “The restrictions that apply to 14- and 15-year-old students that are outlined in the Ohio Administrative Code do not apply to Amish students once they turn 14. However, if an Amish family owns the farm where the students will be working, they are automatically exempt from those restrictions regardless of age,” according to Bohnert.

Jobs for teens are important, and seasonal agricultural work gives them exposure and experience with a career vital to Ohio. Knowing and adhering to Ohio’s minor labor laws benefits everyone.

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