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If you're a teenager working (or thinking about working) in the United States, it's really important to know your rights. Not all jobs are safe or fair, and unfortunately, some young people are taken advantage of or even trafficked into dangerous work situations. That’s why child labor laws exist: to protect you, your health, your education, and your future. 

These laws also make sure that children aren’t forced to work when they’re too young. If you're under a certain age, you have the right to go to school, to be safe, and to grow up healthy without being pushed into unsafe or unfair jobs. 

In this article, we’ll explain what labor exploitation and trafficking actually mean, how U.S. laws are designed to protect young workers like you, and what to watch out for in the workplace. We’ll also go over other useful information about working with permission in the U.S. and what documents you may need.  

Bottom line: No matter what your immigration status is, you have the right to a safe and healthy workplace, to be paid fairly, and to be treated with respect and dignity. Knowing your rights can help you stay safe and speak up if something doesn’t feel right. 

This article will help you better understand the following topics: 

  1. 👷🏾‍♂️ What is child labor, labor trafficking and labor exploitation?
  2. ⚖️ What laws exist to protect children at work?
  3. 🚩 How do I know if I’m being exploited?
  4. 🆘 How can I get help?
  5. 🧑🏽‍⚖️ The importance of work permits and talking to an attorney.  
     

1. 👷🏾‍♂️ What is child labor, labor trafficking and labor exploitation? 

Understanding the different ways young people can be taken advantage of at work is key to staying safe and knowing your rights.  

Child labor → This is when someone asks a child under the legal working age to work, or asks a child to do work that is too dangerous, too demanding, or interferes with their education. This includes working too many hours, doing dangerous jobs, or having to work during school hours.  

Labor exploitation → This is a general term for when someone, including sponsors or family members, takes advantage of you as a worker. This could mean that you don’t get paid fairly for the work that you do, that someone makes you work long hours, and/or that someone makes you to do work that is unsafe.  

Labor trafficking → Trafficking is when someone is forced/manipulated/tricked into working. The trafficker might use different techniques to keep the person working, like keeping their passport from them, lying to them, or threatening them (including threatening to call Child Protective Services or immigration).  

  • 📌 Note: There are other types of trafficking besides labor trafficking. Sex trafficking and domestic servitude are other serious and common harms children may experience. To learn more about the different types of human trafficking and how to report it, check out this article.  

Understanding child labor, labor exploitation and labor trafficking is the first step to staying safe. Next, let’s look at the laws that are in place to protect you and other young workers from these dangerous situations. 

2. ⚖️ What laws exist to protect children at work? 

There are both state and federal (country-wide) laws that protect children and teens in the workplace. Child labor laws keep children from working: 

  • 🧒🏽 when they are too young.
  • ⏳ too many hours.
  • 🚜 jobs that are too dangerous. 
🧒🏽 Minimum age → Federal law says that children must be at least 14 years old to work. The minimum age laws may vary slightly depending on the state that you live in, and depending on the type of work that you are doing. For example, some states allow children who are 12 and 13 years old to work in agricultural jobs. Children under 14 years old are also allowed to work at family-owned businesses.  

⏳ Maximum hours → Even if children meet the minimum age requirements for work, there are laws that protect the amount of time that they can work.  

  • Hourly rules that protect 14 and 15-year-olds:
    • people cannot ask a child to work more than 8 hours per day on a non-school day, and more than 3 hours a day during a school day.
    • people are allowed to ask children to work 40 hours per week outside of the school year, but only 18 hours per week during the school year.
    • people are not allowed to ask children to work during school hours or to work before 7:00am or after 7:00pm. Between June and September, the late hours are extended to 9:00pm.
  • Federal law does not put limits on the hours people can ask 16 and 17-year-olds to work, however many states have laws that limit hours for this age group.
    • 👉 Check this table for specific laws per age group by state. If you need help understanding this table, don’t hesitate to contact us.  

🚜 Job safety → Federal law prohibits asking children to do jobs that are considered dangerous.  

  • Jobs considered too dangerous for minors include jobs that require using heavy machinery, dangerous tools, or driving certain dangerous vehicles.
  • Important! It is the employer’s responsibility to make sure that they create a safe workplace, that the minor receives proper training on how to stay safe and what to do if they get hurt, that they feel comfortable asking questions, that they have the proper safety equipment, etc.  

🔎 To learn more about federal labor laws and jobs (agricultural and non-agricultural) that you can and cannot work, check out this guide from the Department of Labor.  

Besides laws that protect a minor’s safety, age, and hours, there are also laws that protect minors from wage theft.  

💵 ‘Wage’ is another word for ‘payment.’ Wage theft is when an employer does not pay workers fairly according to the law. Some examples of wage theft include: 

  • Paying less than minimum wage (which varies by state).
  • Not paying workers when they work “overtime” (more than 40 hours per week).
  • Having people work “off the clock” (before or after a scheduled shift without being paid for that time).
  • Not letting workers take meal and rest breaks.
  • Taking workers' tips. 


📌 Important notes: 

  • It is the employer’s job to make sure that all of these laws are followed and that the minor employee’s rights are protected.
  • When the federal law and the state law are different, the stricter law is the one that must be followed. For example, if the federal law says that minors can work at 14 years old, but the state where the minor lives says they can’t work until they are 15 years old, the stricter 15-year-old minimum will be the law.
  • These laws protect all minors, no matter the minor’s immigration status is or if they are working with permission or without permission. 
     

3. 🚩 How do I know if I’m being exploited? 

Young people are especially vulnerable to being exploited at work. Sometimes, it’s hard to know if what you’re experiencing is just a “bad job” or something more serious like labor exploitation or trafficking. If something feels off, unfair, or unsafe, it’s important to pay attention.  

Check out the following list of warning signs (or red flags) that might mean you or someone you know is being exploited or trafficked.  

Red flags of labor exploitation: 

  • 🚩 You’re not being paid, or you're paid much less than promised.
  • 🚩 You’re not allowed to talk to other people, or you’re not allowed to use your phone without supervision
  • 🚩 You work very long hours.
  • 🚩 You work during school hours.
  • 🚩 Your work makes you feel scared or unsafe.
  • 🚩 You are not allowed to take breaks from work.
  • 🚩 You feel like you will not be allowed to quit your job.
  • 🚩 You’re told to lie about your age or how you got the job.
  • 🚩 You don’t have control over your money (someone else takes your money or holds on to it).
  • 🚩 Someone holds on to your passport, ID, or other documents.
  • 🚩 Somone threatens to call CPS or immigration if you do not do what they ask.  

Note: Remember that labor trafficking is only one kind of trafficking. For a list of warning signs of human trafficking, click here. 
 

4. 🆘 How can I get help? 

If you think that you or someone you know is being exploited or trafficked at work, it’s important to tell someone.  

There are several different places and people that you can reach out to for help: 

  • 📞 If you or anyone else is in immediate danger, call 911. Calling 911 will put you in touch with police or other authorities who can help you immediately.
    • For more information about 911 and other crisis hotlines in the US, click here. 
       
  • 👨🏽‍🏫 Talk to a safe adult. If there is a parent, teacher, or other safe adult that you feel comfortable talking to, you can ask them for help and guidance on how to report the crime. 
     
  • 🤳🏽 If you think you are a victim of labor trafficking:
    • get in touch with the National Human Trafficking Hotline. The hotline is free, confidential, available 24/7, and available in English and Spanish. Get in touch by:
      • calling 1-888-373-7888
      • texting ‘HELP’ to 233733
      • messaging the online chat 
         
  • 🧑🏽‍💻 If you think you are a victim of wage theft or labor exploitation:
    • you can file a complaint with the Department of Labor (DOL). You can file a complaint here.
    • Note: you will need to gather evidence to file your complaint.  
       
  • 📍 There are many local and state organizations that exist to help protect people’s labor rights.  

⚠️ Note: If you speak up or file a complaint about your job, your boss isn’t allowed to punish you for it. That means they can’t fire you, cut your hours, or treat you badly just because you stood up for your rights. 
 

5. 🧑🏽‍⚖️ The importance of work permits and talking to an attorney. 

⚠️ Important: You need permission to work in the U.S. Working without permission can negatively affect your immigration case. To work with permission in the U.S., you need to get a work authorization (also known as an Employment Authorization Document or EAD). This document proves that you’re allowed to work in the U.S. and helps protect you from being taken advantage of by employers. 

Whether you can get an EAD or not, and when you can apply, depends on what kind of immigration benefit you have (for example, asylum applicants, youth with SIJS status, green card holders, etc.).  

📽️ Watch the video below to learn more about what a work permit is: 

Talking to an attorney can help you: 

  • ✅ Understand what forms of immigration relief you are eligible to apply for.
    • 📌 Important note: If you’re a survivor of labor trafficking or other serious crimes, you might qualify for special immigration protections like a T visa or U visa. In these cases, speak to an attorney as soon as possible so that they can help you with this process.
  • ✅ Understand if you are eligible to apply for an EAD with your immigration status/the form of immigration relief that you have.
  • ✅ Understand when and how to apply for immigration relief and/or an EAD. 

 

🔎 If you need help finding an attorney, contact us! 

To learn more about what topics to keep in mind when looking for an attorney, check out this article.  

SOURCES: 

Family Service of the Piedmont. (Accessed May 2025). Labor Exploitation vs. Labor Trafficking. https://fspcares.org/labor-exploitation-vs-labor-trafficking/#:~:text=Both%20labor%20exploitation%20and%20labor,%2C%20fraud%20and%2For%20coercion. 

UNICEF. (Accessed May 2025). What is Child Labour? https://www.unicef.org/protection/child-labour 

Polaris Project. (Accessed May 2025). Recognizing Labor Trafficking. https://polarisproject.org/labor-trafficking/ 

OSHA Education Center. (Accessed May 2025). Child Labor Laws. https://www.oshaeducationcenter.com/articles/child-labor-laws/ 

OSHA. (Accessed May 2025). Employer Responsibilities for Keeping Young Workers Safe. https://www.osha.gov/young-workers/employer-responsibilities