State releases Youth Worker Bill of Rights, outlying labor protections for teens
A job fair at IBEW Local 25 in Hauppauge in May. Credit: Morgan Campbell
The state Department of Labor announced the release of a new worker bill of rights for teen employees, a response to rising rates of labor law violations concerning working minors.
New York’s first Youth Workers Bill of Rights aims to better inform young, first-time workers about the legal protections available to all employees in the state, in addition to special protections for workers under 18.
“Every worker in our state deserves a fair, safe work environment, especially our young people,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement.
The publishing of the Youth Bill of Rights comes after increased rates of labor law violations involving teen workers in recent years. New York saw a 68% spike in child labor violations in 2022.
Core protections in the state’s Youth Worker Bill of Rights
1. You have the right to receive your full paycheck on time.
2. You have the right to earn the minimum wage.
3. You have the right to receive a paystub.
4. You have the right to a safe workplace.
5. You have the right to keep any tips you receive.
6. You have the right to take breaks.
7. You have the right to a discrimination-free workplace.
8. You have the right to attend school.
9. You have the right to time to study and rest.
10. You have the right to speak up.
Source: New York State Department of Labor
The list of worker rights, released last week and available online through the state’s Youth Worker Information Hub, includes 10 reminders on state labor law. The hub is a resource for teen workers and includes information on permitted working hours during school days, as well as a list of prohibited occupations for workers under 18.
Among the key labor protections are the right to receive the mandated minimum wage, $16 per hour on Long Island; access to a safe, nondiscriminatory workplace; and the right to file a complaint with the Labor Department without fear of retaliation.
For those working in the field of youth employment locally, news of the bill of rights was welcome.
“It sounds like a really good tool,” said Stacey Lesko, director of Youth Services for the Suffolk County Labor Department.
Lesko said younger workers often don’t know about the legal protections they have as employees, making a specific resource for inexperienced jobseekers valuable. She said she plans to provide the bill of rights to workers enlisted in the county’s Youth Summer Job Program, which runs from July 1 through Aug. 16.
“It’s a great thing for the young people because a lot of times they’ll have different questions like, ‘What is minimum wage, how much am I going to be making, and how long it takes to get my first check?’ ”