Child Labor Laws Change with New Iowa Bills

Child labor laws vary from state to state, they generally consist of the employment of minors in non-occupations under the age of 14. It restricts the hours and types of work that can be performed by minors under 16, but what do students at Northwest High School think about employment in the State of Iowa? 

Most people seem to feel that businesses employ a mix of young and old workers. People have responded and expressed concern about the number of hours minors can work and would like more restrictions put in place, but for most people, it seems that working at local or at businesses is a way to get important experience early on in their lives. Some may say the employment of minors under the age of 18 in any hazardous occupation is dangerous but some might disagree. 

Nolan Craig, a 16-year-old sophomore at Northwest has been working at Hy-Vee for two years now. “I like my work environment, it’s organized but still pretty relaxed,” stated Craig. He loves the people he works with and thinks they’re the best part of the job. Although child labor laws restrict how many hours and what kinds of work minors can do, Craig feels that these laws are very important, Craig stated, “Child labor laws are extremely important since they prevent kids from being overworked or in dangerous situations.” 

Additionally, businesses and states are often able to bypass child labor laws by only employing those who are at least 16 years old. They’re able to do this by not hiring people under the age of 15, even if the child labor laws state that children can work at the age of 14. Moving forward, it’s up to businesses whether or not they want to employ minors in their workforce. 

Hailey Gojkovich, a senior at Northwest and a hard-working employee at Scratch Cupcakery, has strong feelings about child labor laws. Gojkovich said, “I think that you should always be able to decide whether you want a job or not, especially when you’re our age.” At 17 years of age, Hailey has felt that her job environment can sometimes be stressful but also enjoys her experiences working in the bakery with customers and through phone calls without a lot of pressure on herself. “I like being in the atmosphere of a bakery and helping customers,” stated Gojkovich. 

Working can be a lot of fun, but it can also be stressful at times. The experience is really what makes it worth doing. 17-year-old Aniston Clayton is a student at Northwest and she participates in many volunteer hours for Silver Cord and focuses on her classes and grades during the school year. She also follows with summer jobs that provide her with new experiences to help encourage kids. Clayton is a camp counselor as well as an employee at Sugar Creek Golf Course and Triumph Park. These child labor laws usually prevent minors aged under 18 from having positive changes or more opportunities. Clayton claims, “With not being eighteen, these changes would affect the level I could achieve at my job.” Although she thinks child labor laws are good and important as long as training and supervision are provided, these laws on their own should not be seen as a bad thing. 

Even if jobs can be stressful at different ages, and dealing with different tasks, child labor laws are there to give minors new opportunities and make it a safe environment for them.