Recently, several incidents of illegal child labor were reported in news outlets, some in industries adjacent to farms such as meat packing. It’s a good time to revisit the rules for youth employment in agriculture to ensure that our industry is in full compliance. Both federal and state laws govern the age at which youths can work on farms, the hours they can work, and the tasks they can perform. These restrictions are in place because young people may not have the physical ability or judgment that adults bring to the job, thus increasing the risks to which they are exposed; and because young people need to focus on getting an education without excessive distractions from work.
New York law is more restrictive than federal law in many cases!
Read the full article on the Cornell Agricultural Workforce web site.
By Richard Stup, Cornell University