Summer Youth Worker Safety Tips

The smell of fresh cut grass, warm sunshine on your face, the last day of the school year…Summer is in the air! This is a fantastic time of year for teens to earn a little extra money and hone their responsibility skills. What better way to do all this than a summer job? While getting a summer job may benefit teens, parents, and employers alike, hiring a youth brings its fair share of factors to consider. Parents and employers both have to ensure that the minor worker is safeguarded and protected in all circumstances. The Nowell Agency is here to share some tips on what employers need to provide for youth hires so that parents and employers can rest easy, knowing the working youth of America are in good hands!

Creating a Safe and Healthy Workplace for Youth Hires

To avoid injuries, illnesses, and other calamities from befalling teen workers, it’s a good idea to ensure their place of employment is current on best practices and federal child labor laws. There are a few steps businesses must take (and parents should look for) to ensure minor employees are protected.

Adhere to child labor laws. All staff members that may be overseeing teen hires should be educated on laws and provided access to the plethora of information that exists about child labor laws. The Department of Labor offers free training, resources, presentations, online information, and more regarding child labor laws and current best practices. Failure to adhere to state and federal child labor laws can result in paying civil penalties, unpaid overtime, and damages, to name a few.

Practice effective employee onboarding for youths. Besides educating staff, the workers themselves must be informed on what they are allowed and not allowed to do at the workplace. That includes informing them about their hours of labor, what equipment they can use, and what tasks they can complete.

Maintain meticulous records. Ensure that for each and every young worker that is hired, a birth certificate and other necessary paperwork is collected and kept. Employment and age certificates can help managers and other staff track the ages of youth employees and enforce age-related labor rules. Additionally, concise time records must be maintained for every young employee. Accurate time records protect the child and the business, ensuring they are not working over their legally allotted limit.

Provide training for all youth employees. For many teen hires, this may be their first work environment. Regardless of experience, youths need to be educated on workplace safety, how to avoid work-related injuries, and potential hazards they may face on the job site. Be sure to label (and point out) any equipment or work areas that are prohibited for minor employees.

Stay current on business insurance. Even if employers have followed all the best practices for hiring employees who are minors, sometimes accidents happen. By maintaining the proper insurance policies, both your employees and your business will be protected if disaster strikes. Safeguard everyone involved with comprehensive business insurance, including general liability or BOP,  commercial property insurance, worker’s compensation insurance, and more.

Taking these simple precautions is mutually beneficial. Employers can protect the safety of their minor workers while also safeguarding your business. For assistance from qualified and experienced business insurance agents, call the Nowell Agency today! We’re ready to help make your workplace safe and secure for everyone involved!