A Guide To STARTING A BUSINESS IN MINNESOTA 42nd Ed 2024

High school students may not work: • After 11 p.m. on evenings before school days (11:30 p.m. with written permission of a parent or guardian) or • Before 5 a.m. on school days (4:30 a.m. with written permission of a parent or guardian). • A high school student age 18 or older may make a written request to the employer to work during restricted hours. A minor may not be employed in an occupation found by the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to be particularly hazardous or detrimental to the well-being of minors. The list of occupations is extensive. Some of the types of occupations that are prohibited for minors include those where the minor may be exposed to hazardous substances; those involving power-driven machinery and equipment; those which involve operation of amusement rides; jobs in processing plants, and jobs in establishments where intoxicating liquors are served. Questions concerning whether a particular occupation is prohibited for minors should be directed to the Labor Standards Unit of the Department of Labor and Industry at the address and telephone number provided in the Resource Directory section of this Guide. The following are exceptions to the general rule prohibiting employment of minors in hazardous occupations: • A minor may be employed at tasks away from or outside of the area of hazardous operation, equipment or materials. • The law does not apply to a minor employed to do home chores or to babysit or to a minor employed by his or her parents. Home chore work is that which is usual to the home of the employer. Work performed in connection with or as part of the business, trade, or profession of the employer is not a home chore. Home chores are all those variable tasks normal to the running of a household and include but are not limited to mowing lawns, raking leaves, removing snow, light housekeeping, washing clothes or dishes, vacuuming, yard cleaning and food preparation. • The prohibitions do not apply to a minor training in a state-approved apprenticeship program or a program approved by the Division of Vocational Technical Education, Minnesota Department of Education. • The prohibitions do not apply to 17-year-old high school graduates. • The prohibitions do not apply if the corporation the minor works for is totally owned by, and its daily business is supervised by, one or both parents. If the minor‘s parent is a member of the family farm corporation where the minor works, the prohibitions also do not apply. Every employer in Minnesota is required to have proof of age of any employee or applicant who is a minor. (Minn. Stat. § 181A.06.) This must be secured from the minor in the form of an age certificate, a copy of the minor’s birth certificate, a copy of the minor’s driver’s license, or a United States Department of Justice Immigration and Naturalization Service Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9. The Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry may impose a fine of up to $5,000 for each child labor law violation. Misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor charges also may be brought.

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