Teens realize very early on that the old saying “You can’t please everyone” is true. “money equals power.”Money can buy designer clothes, car insurance, or a little bit of freedom. Many teens take part-time work to make it possible.
The benefits and/or drawbacks for teens working part-time have been debated and studied since at least 1979. However, it is not clear what the impact on schoolwork of teenagers, their jobs, or the effect they can have on schoolwork. U.S. Department of Labor reports that half of American teenage workers have some sort of informal job, like babysitting, yard work or other chores. By age 12, nearly half of American teens had been employed. Many researchers including members of the National Commission on Youth, praise part-time employment and claim it helps with the transition to adulthood.
Part-time work teaches children responsibility and money management skills, as educators and parents alike know for many decades. Laurence Steinberg from Temple University found that 11 percent reported saving the most money to go to college. Only three percent contributed towards household expenses. “The bulk of teen’s money goes to clothing, cars, entertainment, and in some cases, drugs and alcohol,”According to results from a Harvard Education Letter 1998 study.
Steinberg says, “Students who work longer hours report diminished engagement in schooling, lowered school performance, increased psychological distress, higher drug and alcohol use, higher rates of delinquency and greater autonomy from parental control.”Steinberg is supported in his view by David Stern (director of the National Research Center for Vocational Education, University of California, Berkeley), who conducted a study in 1997. Research over twenty years has shown that students who work more than 15 hours per semaine had lower grades and did less homework. They were also less likely to attend college.
Jerald Bachman, University of Michigan Monitoring the Future Project warns against jumping to conclusions about cause and effect. “I would argue that most of the problems that correlate with working long hours are more fundamentally caused,”He said. “That may contribute the to spiral, but I think the spiral is well underway at the time they elect to work the long hours.”
While there are some drawbacks to part-time work, the rewards are numerous. Teens can learn skills through work that are not taught in schools. They can gain confidence and a sense for responsibility. Your teen will be able to earn money and manage their money. Even if your hours are longer than the school’s, you can still provide parental supervision by working after-school. The right job can open doors to networking opportunities and help your child build a successful career.
There are some important things to know before you give your child a job. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry says that “Minors under 14 years of age may not be employed or permitted to work in any occupation, except children employed on farms or in domestic service in private homes.”Under 14-year-olds can work as farm workers, golf caddies or newspaper carriers, and they are also eligible to perform in the entertainment business. You may require special permissions.
Teenagers aged 14 or 15 years old are prohibited from working more than four hours per week during school year. They cannot be at work before 7 a.m., and they can not work after 7. During summer the hours allowed to work may increase to 8. Pennsylvania law forbids under-16-year-olds from working in any type of work including building, heavy lifting, road work, scoring, control desk or other work that involves the sale or dispensing of liquor, window cleaning, scaffolding, ladders, and manufacturing.
The following state laws apply to 16- and 17-year olds “minors are not to work before 6 a.m. or after midnight on school days and 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.”You can also work no more than 8 hours per day or 28 hours per week at school. The only restriction on summer work for 16-17 year-olds is that they cannot work more than 8 hours per day and 44 hours per week. It is illegal for young adults to operate electrical equipment, billiard tables, cranes and lifts operations, dig, excavate, work on machinery that involves woodworking, cake mixing, cleaning or punch pressing, roof, welding and demolishment.
It is important for teens to get a job. Discuss the pros and cons of the job with your teen. It is possible to accept a temporary job, as an example: “you can work x number of hours a week this grading period and then we will decide if you can keep working, based on your grades.”Good grades and participation in extracurricular activities are important for your child’s development and psychological well being. Also, prepare a budget with your child, setting limits on spending and enforcing a percentage-of- paycheck-into-savings policy. A good money management skill, developed early in life, can last a lifetime. With parental supervision, part-time work can offer a rewarding experience.