Many teens these days want to work to earn extra pocket money and many states have different laws. First you need to know at what age children are allowed to work in Memphis. Tennessee state law says that a child must be 14 years old before they are allowed to work. However, 14 and 15 year olds cannot work full time. When school is in session they can work no more than three hours a day, 18 hours in total a week and no later than seven o’ clock in the evening. During the school holidays, they can work up to eight hours a day, no more than 40 hours a week and only up to 9 p.m.
If they are working for six hours or more they must have a 30 minute break for a rest or a meal.
Once your teen is aged 16 or 17 there are no restrictions on the number of hours they can work but they are not allowed to work during school hours or later than 10 p.m. on nights when there is school the next day. If they are required to work later then a parent must sign a Parental Consent Form which lets them work up to midnight on three of the five nights before school.
In the state of Tennessee, your child does not have to have a work permit but they do need to prove their age to the prospective employer. They can provide this proof using their birth certificate, state ID, passport copy or their driver license.
Despite the fact that teens may need parental permission to work, they are still covered under other applicable labor laws, including laws which guarantee workers will be paid for all the hours they work.
