What are regulations on teen employment?

Q. This is our first year in business as a gift and specialty foods store, and we would like to hire one or two teenagers to do odd jobs during the summer. Are there restrictions on age, hours and the types of work they can perform? Can we pay less than minimum wage?

A. State and federal laws establish specific requirements for hiring minors, although a job in a business owned by the parent or legal guardian is exempt (so are such jobs as delivering newspapers, doing domestic chores at a private residence, harvesting crops or raising livestock).

Generally, the law requires that minors be at least 14 years old to work. The minor must provide you with either a work permit or written training agreement between you and the minor's school, or proof of emancipation, graduation or passing the G.E.D. Supervision for a minor must be provided by someone at least 18 years old.

A minor under age 16 cannot work between the hours of 9 p.m., and 7 a.m. A minor 16 or 17 cannot work between 10:30 p.m., and 6 a.m., when school is in session, and not between 11:30 p.m., and 6 a.m., during school vacations. Minors cannot be employed for more than six days in a week, nor for a period longer than a weekly average of eight hours per day or 48 hours in one week (48 hours work and school combined when school is in session), nor for more than 10 hours in any one day.

Teens cannot be employed in hazardous occupations or under unsafe conditions, including contact with hazardous chemicals or use of woodworking and power-driven equipment such as bakery, grinding and slicing machines. Minors cannot work for more than five hours continuously without at least a 30-minute break for a meal and rest.

Michigan law does allows a training wage of $4.25 per hour for the first 90 days of employment for employees under 20 years old if the business is covered by the Michigan Minimum Wage Law. However, most businesses are covered by federal law and must pay the federal minimum wage of $5.15. Employers covered by the federal wage requirement include those that deal in goods produced for interstate commerce or have annual revenues exceeding $500,000.

Complete information is available from the Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services, 517.373.1820 or www.cis.state.mi.us.