Maine Child Labor Laws Poster

[laborlaw]

Child Labor Laws of the State of Maine provide protection for people under the age of 18 in nonagricultural jobs. The Maine Department of Labor administers the laws, which all employers must follow. Department representatives inspect workplaces to ensure compliance. Citations and penalties may be issued to employers who do not comply. This poster describes some important parts of the laws. A copy of the actual laws and formal interpretations may be obtained from the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards

Maine Law (Title 26, MRSA, Section 42-B) requires every employer to place this poster in the work place where workers can easily see it.

Where Minors May Work
16- & 17- year olds may work in most businesses, but not in hazardous jobs.
14- & 15- year olds may work in most businesses, except in most jobs in manufacturing, mechanical, dry cleaners, laundries, bakeries, hotels/motels, and most commercial places of amusement.
Minors under 14 years old may not work in most businesses.
Prohibited Jobs
Youth under 18 years old are not allowed to work at many hazardous jobs. Contact the Bureau of Labor Standards for details.
Work Hours
Under 16-years old
- No more than 6 days in a row.
- Cannot work before 7 a.m.
- Cannot work after 7 p.m. during school year.
- Cannot work after 9 p.m. during summer vacation.
When School Is Not in Session
- No more than 8 hours in any one day (weekend, holiday, vacation or workshop).
- Not more than 40 hours in a week (school must be out entire week).
When School Is in session
- No more than 3 hours on a school day, including Friday.
- Not more than 18 hours in a week that school is in session 1 or more days.
16- & 17- years old (enrolled in school)
- No more than 6 days in a row.
- Cannot work before 7 a.m. on a school day.
- Cannot work before 5 a.m. on a non-school day.
- Cannot work after 10 p.m. the night before a school day.
- Can work up to midnight when there is no school the next day.
When School Is Not in Session
- No more than 10 hours in any one day (weekend, holiday, vacation, or workshop).
- No more than 50 hours in a week.


When School Is in Session
- No more than 4 hours on a school day.
- No more than 10 hours on any holiday, vacation, or workshop day.
- On last day of school week or unscheduled school closure day, may work up to 8 hours.
- No more than 20 hours in a week except may work 50 hours any week that approved school calendar is less than 3 days or during the first and last week of school calendar.
- May work up to 28 hours in week that an unscheduled school closure occurs. (snow day, frozen pipes, etc.)
Work Permits
Minors under 16 years of age need work permits in order to work.
- Issued by superintendent of schools.
- Employer must keep Bureau-approved permit on file.
- Minor allowed only 1 permit during school year, 2 during summer vacation.
- Minor cannot work until permit is approved by Bureau of Labor Standards.
Records
All employers must keep accurate daily records of hours for workers under 18.
Note: Maine employers may also be covered under the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act. For more information, contact the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Office