EMPLOYING
MINORS IN
MICHIGAN
HOURS
Minors may not work during school hours
while school is in session.
Minors age 14 and 15 years old combined
hours of school and work cannot exceed
48
hours
in a workweek.
14- and 15-year-olds may not work befo
re
7:
00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m.
Minors 16 and 17 years old may work
24
hours
per week when school is in session
and 48 hours per week when school is not in
session.
16– and 17-year-olds may not work before
6:00 a.m. or after 10:30 p.m. Sunday
through Thursday and 11:30 p.m. on Friday
and Saturday when school is in session and
11:30 p.m. 7 days per week when school is
not in session.
Minors are limited to working no more than
10 hours in a day with a weekly average of
8 hours per day.
A minor may not work more than 6 days in
a week.
Approval may be granted for 16- and 17-
year-olds to work beyond the starting and
ending times specified in the Youth
Employment Standards Act. Approvals ca
n
be obtain
ed online from the Wage and Hour
Division. 14- and 15-year-olds are not
allowed to work beyond the times describe
d
i
n the act.
BREAKS
Workers less than 18 years of age may not
work more than 5 hours without a
documented 30-minute uninterrupted break.
SUPERVISION
A minor may not be employed unless the
e
mployer or another employee 18 years
of
a
ge or older provides supervision.
Supervision means being on the premises to
direct and control the work of minors and to
assist in case of an emergency.
Special penalties apply for employing minors
in occupations involving cash transactions
after sunset or 8:00 p.m., whichever is
earlier, without required supervisio
n.
ENFORCEMENT
Violation of the act is a misdemeanor
punishable by imprisonment for not more than
1 year, or a $500.00 fine, or both. Penalties
increase for adult supervision violations.
Complaints may be filed online at
www.michigan.gov.
Many Michigan employers and their employees
under 18 years of age are subject to federal
rules and regulations. For information about
federal regulations contact the U.S.
Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division,
toll-free at 1-866-487-9243.
Other Michigan Labor Laws
In addition to the Youth Employment
Standards Act, the Wage and Hour Division
also administers:
Michigan Minimum Wage
PA 337 of 2018, the Improved Workforce
Opportunity Wage Act, as amended,
establishes the minimum wage including
subminimum wage rates for certain employees,
overtime pay, and recordkeeping and equal pay
standards.
Payment of Wages and Fringe Benefits
PA 390 of 1978, as amended, establishes the
time and manner for payment of wages and
fringe benefits.
Paid Medical Leave Act (PMLA)
PA 338 of 2018, as amended, establishes the
paid medical leave requirements, accrual
amounts, allowed usage, and recordkeeping
standards for certain eligible employees.
Human Trafficking
PA 62 of 2016, requires the posting of certain
notices relating to human trafficking by certain
entities.
This brochure is intended for general
information only. It does not include all the
provisions of Act 90, Public Act of 1978.
LEO is an equal opportunity employer/program.
Auxiliary aids, services, and other reasonable
accommodations are available upon request to
individuals with disabilities. Call (517) 284-7800
to make your needs known to this agency.
Cost: 10,000 copies $1,755.05@ $0.18 per copy
WHD-9803 02/2021
Wage and Hour
Steven
s T. Mason
530 W.
Allegan
Lansing, MI
(517)
Southeast
Cadillac Plac
e
3026 W. Grand Blvd., Suite
Detr
oit, MI
Maili
ng
PO Box
Lansing
, MI
Toll Free: 1-855-4MI-WAGE
www.michigan.gov/wagehour
The Youth Employment Standards Act
(YESA) establishes regulations for
employing minors in the State of Michigan.
MINORS COVERED
It covers workers under the age of 18
including volunteers and performing
artists.
Every employer who hires young workers
should know that:
• A minor must be at least 14 years old
for most occupations unless exempt
from the Youth Employment Standards
Act.
• A work permit is required unless the
minor is exempt from the act.
• Minors may be employed in most jobs
except those considered hazardous.
MINORS NOT COVERED
The Youth Employment Standards Act
does not apply to several groups of young
people provided proof of exemption is on
file at the worksite. These groups include,
but not limited to:
16- and 17-year-olds who have completed
requirements for high school graduation.
17-year-olds who have passed the GED
test.
Emancipated minors.
Students 14 years old and older working
under a work-study contract between an
employer and a school district that
provides supervision.
Domestic workers at private residences.
Minors working in businesses owned
and operated by their parents.
Workers who plant, cultivate, or harvest
crops or raise livestock on farms.
WORKPLACE RESTRICTIONS
MINORS EMPLOYED IN WORKPLACES
INVOLVING ALCOHOL
Minors 14 to 17 years old may be
employed in a business where alcoholic
beverages are sold or consumed if the
sale of food or other goods is at least
50% of the total gross receipts.
Minors 14 and 15 years old cannot
work in the part of a business where
alcohol is consumed. Minors under the
age of 18 cannot sell, serve, or supply
alcoholic beverages.
HAZARD WORKPLACE
RESTRICTIONS
Minors covered by the act may not
work in any occupation determined to
be hazardous. This includes,
but is not
limited to
:
Contact with hazardous substances,
chemicals, explosives, or radioactive
substances.
Driving and working as an
outside helper (pizza delivery,
etc.).
Jobs in the logging and sawmill
industry.
Jobs using woodworking machinery.
Work on construction sites,
excavation sites, bridges, streets or
highways.
Slaughtering, butchering, cutting
meat or using meat slicers, cleavers,
or boning knives.
Occupations involving power driven
equipment, tools, saws, or
machinery (bakery machines, paper
product machines, and metal-
forming, punching, and shearing
machines).
WORK PERMITS
Teenage workers who are not exempt from
the act must have a work permit before
beginning work. Work permits are available
at www.michigan.gov/wagehour and from
most schools or their administrative offices.
If a minor changes jobs, a new work
permit is required for the new employer.
A work permit may be taken away for poor
academic performance or an employer’s non-
compliance with the act.
A work permit is required even if the minor
does not attend school.
WAGES
Wages must be paid weekly, biweekly,
monthly, or semimonthly.
Michigan’s minimum hourly wage rate for
individuals 18 years of age or older can be
found below.
Minors 16 to 17 years of age may be paid
a subminimum wage equal to 85% of the
minimum hourly wage rate.
If minors receive tips, an hourly rate of at
least 38% of the minimum wage rate must
be paid. Signed, dated tip statements must
be obtained prior to payday. The combined
total from adding hourly wages with
declared tips must be equal to or greater
than the minimum hourly wage rate at the
end of each pay period. If not, the
employer must make up the difference.
*the rate did not increase for 2021 because the
state unemployment rate exceeded 8.5%.
**the 2021 increase may occur in 2022 if the
state unemployment rate is less than 8.5%.
EFFECTIVE
DATE
MINIMUM
HOURLY
WAGE RATE
85% OF
MINIMUM
HOURLY
WAGE RATE
1/1/2020 $9.65 $8.20
1/1/2022** $9.87 $8.39
1/1/2021* $9.65 $8.20
