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Unit 6: Individual Rights and Liberties
Working for a Living
Introduction
You are a teenager, and you want to make some money. Because
you are honest and hard-working, you decide to get a job.
You quickly discover, however, that there are strict limitations
regarding what kinds of jobs you can get. For example, the
jobs available to you and the hours you can work depend on
the industry, your age, and other factors. In this lesson,
you will find out what the restrictions are for teenage workers,
what their rights are, and how working affects teenagers'
grades, mental and physical health, and other factors.
STEP 1:
1. |
Go to the
Department of Labor Web site Youth
Rules! and click on the square that says Teens.
Follow whatever links necessary to answer the questions
below. |
According to rules from the federal government:
- What hours may 16- to 17-year-olds
work?
- What hours may 14- to 15-year-olds
work?
- At what age do workers need to obtain
work permits?
- What restrictions are there on the
types of work permissible for children of various ages?
- How are the labor laws different
for agricultural workers on family farms?
2. |
Now follow
the link to state labor laws and answer the questions
again to find out what the specific rules are for teenage
workers in your state. Compare the rules from your state
to the rules from the federal government. Are they more
or less restrictive/protective? |
STEP 2:
In 1998, the National Research Council
published an extensive study of working adolescents in the
United States. Within this report, the National Research Council
highlights its recommendations to ensure the protection and
safety of young workers. You do not have to read the entire
report, but you should review as much of it as possible, in
order to answer the questions below. The Press
Release briefly summarizes the main points in the report,
and the Executive
Summary of the report is even more specific.
-
List some of the dangers for adolescents
who work long hours (over 20 hours per week).
-
Why do most adolescents want to earn
money?
-
What types of jobs do most adolescents
work?
-
What are some of the positive and negative
effects associated with working during adolescence?
-
Which industries have the highest rates
of injury? Why is this so?
-
Paraphrase the four guiding principles
under which the committee worked.
-
The committee made 14 recommendations.
Choose the five you think are most important and explain
why these are the most crucial for the future. You may
bring your personal experience to this reflection.
-
Are there any recommendations with
which you disagree? If so, what are they and why do you
disagree? Are there any recommendations that are not present
and you would like to add? You may bring your personal
experience to this reflection.
STEP 3:
Many adolescents work for the minimum wage,
at least when they first start working. In this section, you
will explore the rationale and history behind the minimum
wage laws.
1. |
Use either
the Minimum
Wage Summary or the Q
& A to find the answers to these questions:
- What is the federal minimum
wage?
- What is the federal minimum
wage for full-time students and for student learners?
- What is the federal minimum
wage for workers younger than 20 years old in the first
90 days of employment?
- What is the federal minimum
wage for workers with disabilities?
- What size businesses are covered
by the law?
- Which employees can be paid
less than the minimum wage?
- What is the penalty for an employer if he/she is
found in violation of the law?
|
2. |
Go to
the States'
Guide and find your state.
|
3. |
Go to
History
of the Minimum Wage.
-
When was the current $500,000
annual earnings basis established?
-
When was the current minimum
wage established?
-
Go to the minimum
wage chart and find what the minimum wage
was the year you were born. What was it the
year your mom or dad (or another adult) was
born?
-
Why do you think the minimum
wage has increased the way it has?
|
STEP 4:
1. |
In a
discussion with your peers, reflect on all that you
have learned about adolescent workers. Discuss the
questions below, taking into account your own experiences.
Take notes on your discussion, as you may want to
use the points brought up by other students in the
letter you are going to write.
-
What do you think the future
holds for adolescent laborers? What do you think
it should hold?
-
Is the government doing
enough to protect teenage workers? Should it
be doing more?
-
Is the minimum wage adequate?
Should it be higher?
-
Would an increase in the
minimum wage mean that small businesses might
not hire as many teenage workers?
-
Why do you think the federal
and state governments are involved in making
rules for workers, especially young workers?
|
2. |
After
solid deliberation, take your ideas and put them into
action by writing a letter to one of your representatives
in Congress. (Link to the U.S.
House of Representatives or the U.S.
Senate if you need to find the names and addresses
of your representatives in Washington, D.C.) In your
letter, express your views about adolescent workers
and what you think the laws should be. Include a comment
on your opinion about the minimum wage. Support your
opinions with evidence from the materials you have
studied and from your personal experiences. If you
think things are just fine the way they are, say that,
but support your opinion.
3. Hand in your letter to your teacher before sending
it to your senator or representative. |
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