Dayton, OH — A bill that would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work until 9 p.m. year-round is moving forward in the Ohio Legislature.
The Senate passed the legislation (S.B. 50), sponsored by Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), with a 24-9 party-line vote on April 9. Currently, 14- and 15-year-olds can work until 7 p.m. on school nights, while 16- and 17-year-olds can work until 11 p.m.
The bill would also direct the state’s director of commerce to create a “minor work hour notification form,” which would need to be signed by the employee’s parent or legal guardian.
Tod Bowen, managing director of external affairs and government regulations for the Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance, testified in support of the legislation before the Senate Workforce Development Committee on Feb. 18. He contends that jobs help teens build valuable life skills.
“The things they learn while working are not something you can easily learn in a class or online,” he said. “Being employed, especially in sectors like food service, retail and hospitality, offers these young people the opportunity to learn essential skills like customer service, problem solving and time management.”
Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit research institute, urged lawmakers to vote against the bill, claiming that work takes time away from teens that should be dedicated to homework, rest and extracurricular activities.
“Dismantling long-settled laws designed to protect children from abuse clears the way for corporations to access and exploit children in desperate situations, instead of paying livable wages that would attract adult workers,” testified Heather Smith, a researcher at Policy Matters Ohio.
She also says that the bill would allow businesses to skirt the provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 that prohibits teens younger than 16 from working more than three hours a day during the school year.
The bill has been referred to the House Commerce and Labor Committee.
