Florida Governor Signs Law Easing Hourly Work Restrictions on Minors
Florida Governor Signs Law Easing Hourly Work Restrictions on Minors The National Law Review
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Florida Governor Signs Bill Amending Child Labor Law
On March 22, 2024, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that amends the state’s Child Labor Law to allow minors sixteen and seventeen years of age to work more hours.
Quick Hits
- Florida enacted legislation that will ease employment restrictions for minors sixteen and seventeen years old.
- The law gives parents and school superintendents the ability to waive the limitation on minors working only thirty hours per week while school is in session.
- The changes take effect on July 1, 2024.
The enacted legislation, House Bill (HB) 49, amends Florida’s Child Labor Law to ease some of the restrictions on minors aged sixteen and seventeen and allows parents and school superintendents to waive the thirty-hours-per-week work limitation.
HB 49, which was one of a series of bills passed by the legislature near the end of the last legislative session, will take effect on July 1, 2024. Here are some key changes made by the law.
Work Hours
The law keeps in place restrictions under Florida’s Child Labor Law that provide that minors aged sixteen and seventeen years old may only work eight hours in any one day and between 6:30 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., when there is school the next day. However, changes made by the new law will allow minors aged sixteen and seventeen to work more than eight hours on Sundays and holidays, even when there is school the next day.
Further, HB 49 will allow parents and school superintendents to waive the limitation that minors aged sixteen and seventeen may only work thirty hours per week when school is in session. The law will also lower the age restriction on minors working more than six consecutive days from seventeen years of age to fifteen years of age.
Additionally, minors sixteen and seventeen years of age who are scheduled to work for eight hours in one day will also be entitled to a meal break of at least thirty minutes for every four hours of continuous work.
Exclusions and Waivers
HB 49 removes the work hour restrictions for certain minors and creates opportunities for the restrictions to be waived under certain circumstances. Specifically, the law removes the work hour restrictions for minors aged sixteen and seventeen who are in a “home education program” or who are “enrolled in an approved virtual instruction program in which the minor is separated from the teacher by time only.”
The law clarifies that school superintendents will be able to waive the work hour restrictions for minors “enrolled in an educational institution who qualify on a hardship basis, such as economic necessity or family emergency.” The law further clarifies that the hourly restrictions will not apply to minors working “in domestic service in private homes” or “employed by their parents.”
Additionally, under the changes provided by HB 49, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation will be allowed to waive restrictions for minors when it is in the minor’s best interest, based on “extenuating circumstances” determined on a case-by-case basis.
Penalties
HB 49 also clarifies that employers that violate the employment restrictions on minors could be subject to a misdemeanor and that each day an employee works in violation of the restrictions constitutes a separate and distinct violation under Florida law. Employers may further be required to take remedial actions.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- SDG 4: Quality Education
The article discusses the amendments made to Florida’s Child Labor Law, which directly relates to providing decent work opportunities for minors (SDG 8). It also mentions the involvement of parents and school superintendents in waiving work hour restrictions, which is connected to ensuring quality education for minors (SDG 4).
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.
- Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.
The amendments made to Florida’s Child Labor Law aim to provide more work opportunities for minors aged sixteen and seventeen, which aligns with Target 8.7 of eradicating the worst forms of child labor. Additionally, by involving parents and school superintendents in waiving work hour restrictions, the changes support Target 4.1 of ensuring equitable and quality education for all children.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
Yes, there are indicators mentioned in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. These include:
- Number of minors aged sixteen and seventeen working more hours after the amendments to the Child Labor Law
- Number of waivers granted by parents and school superintendents for work hour restrictions
- Number of minors aged fifteen working more than six consecutive days
- Number of meal breaks provided to minors working eight hours in one day
- Number of minors in “home education programs” or “approved virtual instruction programs” exempted from work hour restrictions
- Number of waivers granted by school superintendents for work hour restrictions based on economic necessity or family emergency
- Number of minors working in domestic service in private homes or employed by their parents exempted from hourly restrictions
- Number of waivers granted by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation based on extenuating circumstances
- Number of employers penalized for violating employment restrictions on minors
These indicators can be used to track progress towards the targets of eradicating child labor and ensuring quality education.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor. | – Number of minors aged sixteen and seventeen working more hours after the amendments to the Child Labor Law – Number of waivers granted by parents and school superintendents for work hour restrictions – Number of minors aged fifteen working more than six consecutive days – Number of meal breaks provided to minors working eight hours in one day |
| SDG 4: Quality Education | Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes. | – Number of minors in “home education programs” or “approved virtual instruction programs” exempted from work hour restrictions – Number of waivers granted by school superintendents for work hour restrictions based on economic necessity or family emergency – Number of minors working in domestic service in private homes or employed by their parents exempted from hourly restrictions – Number of waivers granted by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation based on extenuating circumstances |
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Source: natlawreview.com
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