Connecticut child labor laws set forth the rules and limitations regarding the days and time children under the age of 18 years old may work in Connecticut. They also clarify and limit the types of work children under the age of 14 and youth who are 14, 15, 16, and 17 year olds may work. It is also important to remember that businesses and youth workers must comply with the federal child labor laws set forth in the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Below is information about Connecticut child labor law rules and limitations.
- How old do you have to be to work in Connecticut?
- What days can a minor work in Connecticut?
- What times during the day can a minor work in Connecticut?
- How many hours can a minor work each day in Connecticut?
- How many hours can a minor work each week in Connecticut?
- What kinds of jobs can a minor work in Connecticut?
- Does a teen need to have a work permit or certificate to work in Connecticut?
- Are youth workers entitled to rest breaks or meal breaks?
How old do you have to be to work in Connecticut?
Under Connecticut child labor laws, youth must be 14-years-old or older to get a job and work in Connecticut with a few exceptions.
CT Statutes 31-12 to 31-25, CT Department of Labor – Employment of Minors, FLSA
What days can a minor work in Connecticut?
Connecticut child labor laws do not limit the days of the week youth may work in Connecticut. However, Connecticut rules limit the times during a day a minor may work. CT Statutes 31-12 to 31-25, CT Department of Labor – Employment of Minors
What times during the day can a minor work in Connecticut?
The times during a day a minor may work in Connecticut varies based on 1) whether they are under 16 year old or not, and 2) whether the work will be during school weeks or non-school weeks.
For youth that are under 18 years of age, Connecticut child labor laws restrict the times during a workday in which they may work based on the industry in which they work:
Restaurants, Recreational, Amusement, and Theater
| Age | Day from a school day | Day from a non-school day |
|---|---|---|
| What times can a 14-year-old work? | 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. |
| What times can a 15-year-old work? | 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. |
| What times can a 16-year-old work? | 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. |
| What times can a 17-year-old work? | 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. |
Manufacturing, Mechanical, Retail, and Mercantile
| Age | Day from a school day | Day from a non-school day |
|---|---|---|
| What times can a 14-year-old work? | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. |
| What times can a 15-year-old work? | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. |
| What times can a 16-year-old work? | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. |
| What times can a 17-year-old work? | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. |
Supermarket with at least 3500 square fee
| Age | Day from a school day | Day from a non-school day |
|---|---|---|
| What times can a 14-year-old work? | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. |
| What times can a 15-year-old work? | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. |
| What times can a 16-year-old work? | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. |
| What times can a 17-year-old work? | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. |
Hairdressing, Bowling Alley, Pool Hall, or Photography Gallery
| Age | Day from a school day | Day from a non-school day |
|---|---|---|
| What times can a 14-year-old work? | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| What times can a 15-year-old work? | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| What times can a 16-year-old work? | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| What times can a 17-year-old work? | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
CT Statutes 31-12 to 31-25, CT Department of Labor – Employment of Minors
Federal Law
The FLSA also restricts the times youth may work each workday. When the federal child labor laws are more restrictive than Connecticut laws, the federal rules apply.
| Age | School Weeks (Labor Day to June 1) | Non-School Weeks (June 1 to Labor Day) |
|---|---|---|
| What times can a 14-year-old work? | 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. | 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. |
| What times can a 15-year-old work? | 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. | 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. |
| What times can a 16-year-old work? | No restriction | No restriction |
| What times can a 17-year-old work? | No restriction | No restriction |
How many hours can a minor work each day in Connecticut?
For youth under 18-years-old, Connecticut child labor laws restrict how many hours they may work in a workday based on whether they work in a school week, 6 hours Monday to Thursday and 8 hours Friday to Sunday, and non-school weeks, 8 hours.
| Max Hours Work Each Day | Monday to Thursday during school weeks | Friday to Sunday and during non-school weeks |
|---|---|---|
| How many hours can a 14-year-old work each day? | 6 | 8 |
| How many hours can a 15-year-old work each day? | 6 | 8 |
| How many hours can a 16-year-old work each day? | 6 | 8 |
| How many hours can a 17-year-old work each day? | 6 | 8 |
CT Statutes 31-12 to 31-25, CT Department of Labor – Employment of Minors
The FLSA also restricts the how many hours a youth may work each workday. When the federal child labor laws are more restrictive than Connecticut laws, the federal rules apply.
| Max Hours Work Each Day | School days | Non-school days |
|---|---|---|
| How many hours can a 14-year-old work each day? | 3 | 8 |
| How many hours can a 15-year-old work each day? | 3 | 8 |
| How many hours can a 16-year-old work each day? | No restriction | No restriction |
| How many hours can a 17-year-old work each day? | No restriction | No restriction |
How many hours can a minor work each week in Connecticut?
For youth youth under 18-years-old, Connecticut child labor laws restrict how many hours they may work in a workweek to 32 hours in a school week and 48 hours in a non-school week. Also, youth may not work more than 6 days per workweek.
| Max Hours Worked Each Workweek | School Weeks (Labor Day to June 1) | Non-School Weeks (June 1 to Labor Day) |
|---|---|---|
| How many hours can a 14-year-old work each day? | 32 | 48 |
| How many hours can a 15-year-old work each day? | 32 | 48 |
| How many hours can a 16-year-old work each day? | 32 | 48 |
| How many hours can a 17-year-old work each day? | 32 | 48 |
CT Statutes 31-12 to 31-25, CT Department of Labor – Employment of Minors
The FLSA also restricts the how many hours a youth may work each workweek. When federal child labor laws are more restrictive than the Connecticut laws, the federal rules apply.
| Max Hours Worked Each Workweek | Federal Law School Weeks (Labor Day to June 1) | Federal Law Non-School Weeks (June 1 to Labor Day) |
|---|---|---|
| How many hours can a 14-year-old work each week? | 18 | 40 |
| How many hours can a 15-year-old work each week? | 18 | 40 |
| How many hours can a 16-year-old work each week? | No restriction | No restriction |
| How many hours can a 17-year-old work each week? | No restriction | No restriction |
What kinds of jobs can a minor work in Connecticut?
In Connecticut, youth 14 years old and older may work without working papers in the following jobs.
| Agriculture | Street trades (newspaper delivery, shoe shining, baby-sitting) | Hospitals (no food service or laundry) |
| Convalescent homes (no food service or laundry) | Hotels and motels (no food service or laundry) | Banks |
| Insurance companies | Professional offices (lawyers, CPAs) | Municipalities (library attendants, recreation departments) |
| Acting | Household chores for private homeowners (yard work) | Licensed summer camps |
| 15-year old may be employed or permitted to work in certain mercantile establishment as a bagger, cashier, or stock clerk |
In Connecticut, under the FLSA, youth under 16 years old may not work in the following jobs, except except when serving a voluntary apprenticeship, work-training program, or student-learner program..
| manufacturing, including occupations requiring the performance of any duties in work rooms or places where goods are manufactured | mining, including occupations requiring the performance of any duties in work rooms or places where goods are mined | processing, including occupations requiring the performance of any duties in work rooms or places where goods are processed |
| operating, tending, setting up, adjusting, cleaning, oiling, or repairing hoisting apparatus | work in or around boiler or engine rooms or in connection with maintaining or repairing the establishment, machines, or equipment | operating, tending, setting up, adjusting, cleaning, oiling, or repairing power-driven machinery, including but not limited to lawn mowers, golf carts, all-terrain vehicles, trimmers, cutters, weed-eaters, edgers, food slicers, food grinders, food choppers, food processors, food cutters, and food mixers |
| operating motor vehicles or serving as a helper on a motor vehicle | riding on a motor vehicle except in those cases where is explicitly permitted (see above) | outside window washing if it involves working from window sills |
| work requiring the use of ladders, scaffolds, or similar equipment | baking and cooking activities except in those cases explicitly permitted (see above) | working in freezers and meat coolers, unless it is only momentarily to retrieve items (see above) |
| preparing meats for sale except in those cases explicitly permitted (see above) | youth peddling | loading and unloading of goods or property onto or from motor vehicles, railroad cars, or conveyors, except the loading and unloading of personal non-power-driven hand tools, personal protective equipment, and personal items to and from motor vehicles |
| catching and cooping of poultry in preparation for transport or for market | public messenger service | occupations in connection with transporting people or property by rail, highway, air, water, pipeline, or other means, except office work (including ticket office) or sales work if it does not involve performing any duties on trains, motor vehicles, aircraft, vessels, or other media of transportation |
| occupations in connection with warehousing and storage, except office work or sales work | occupations in connection with communications and public utilities. except office work or sales work | occupations in connection with construction, including demolition and repair, except office work or sales work if it does not involve performing duties at the actual site of construction operations. |
In Connecticut, under the FLSA, youth under 18 years old may not work in the following hazardous jobs except when serving a voluntary apprenticeship, work-training program, or student-learner program.
CT Statutes 31-12 to 31-25, CT Department of Labor – Employment of Minors, FLSA
Does a teen need to have a work permit or certificate to work in Connecticut?
Connecticut child labor laws require teens under 18 years old to to obtain working papers (work permit) in order to work in the state. Requiring working papers validate the teen’s age and ensure they are working in permitted occupations and jobs. Employers may also be required to issue an promise of employment letter when they would like to hire a teen.
Although, teens may obtain a federal certificate of age to validate their age and employers may rely on the federal age certificate to defend themselves from claims that they employed an underage teen. FLSA Child Labor Law Age Certificates
Are youth workers entitled to rest breaks or meal breaks?
In Connecticut, Connecticut labor laws require employers to provide their employees, including youth workers, a meal period of at least thirty (30) consecutive minutes if they have worked for seven and one half (7½) or more consecutive hours with some exceptions. Such period shall be given at some time after the first two (2) hours of work and before the last two (2) hours. CT Wage and Hour Laws – Meals and Breaks
