Summary of laws
Massachusetts laws regulating minors' work hours, Mass. Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.
Includes both federal and state laws.
Massachusetts laws
MGL. c. 149, §§ 56-105 Work by children
Forms
Government forms relating to child labor, compiled by the Mass. Trial Court Law Libraries.
Federal laws
29 USC § 212 Child labor provisions
See also Youth and labor, U.S. Department of Labor.
Selected cases
Carey's Case, 66 Mass.App.Ct. 749 (2006)
"The purpose of G. L. c. 149, § 62, is to prevent minors under eighteen from being exposed to dangers which they might not fully realize on account of their youth, inexperience, lack of foresight and want of restraint."
Commonwealth v. Avram A., 83 Mass.App.Ct. 208 (2013)
Juvenile could be required to work to pay restitution. "[W]e ... reject the juvenile's suggestion that he should be excused from paying restitution because it is contrary to contemporary mores or even 'taboo' to permit a juvenile of twelve to sixteen years to earn money by obtaining a paper route, mowing lawns, raking leaves, shoveling snow, baby-sitting, delivering groceries, or by recycling items upon which a deposit had been paid."
Web sources
Child labor laws in Massachusetts, Mass. Department of Public Health, May 2012.
Poster that summarizes the law. A Spanish version is available.
Handy reference guide to the Fair Labor Standards Act, U.S. Department of Labor.
Summarizes the child labor provisions in the FLSA.
Massachusetts guide for working teens, Mass. Department of Public Health, February 2023.
Explains rights and responsibilities for teenagers working or looking for a job.
Prohibited jobs for minors, Mass. Attorney General.
Working under 18, Mass. Attorney General's Fair Labor Division.
"Child labor laws limit the hours workers under 18 can work and the kinds of jobs that they can do. State law also requires employers to have Youth Employment Permits (work permits) on file for all workers under 18. In Massachusetts, children under 14 may not work, except in very limited cases."
Youth employment permit information, Mass. Department of Occupational Safety.
Summarizes child labor laws, and provides access to the necessary work permit application for teens ages 14-17.
YouthRules, U.S. Department of Labor.
Provides clear, straightforward answers to common questions and issues. Includes information for young workers, employers and parents.
How old must a child be to babysit in Massachusetts?
There is no applicable law in Massachusetts. According to the U.S. Department of Labor:
"The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets 14 as the minimum age for most non-agricultural work. However, at any age, youth may deliver newspapers; perform in radio, television, movie, or theatrical productions; work in businesses owned by their parents (except in mining, manufacturing or hazardous jobs); and perform babysitting or perform minor chores around a private home. Also, at any age, youth may be employed as homeworkers to gather evergreens and make evergreen wreaths."
Print sources
Employment law, 3rd ed., Mass. Practice v.45, Thomson West, with supplement.
Sections 16:20 et seq.
Labor and employment in Massachusetts, LexisNexis, loose-leaf. (eBook available with library card)
Volume 1, section 1-8: Hiring and working hours of minors - Child labor.
Your rights on the job, Labor Guild of Boston, 2008.
See pages 48-49.
Contact
Online
| Last updated: | February 12, 2025 |
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