What is the Right Age to Start Working?

Many people wonder as to what is the right age to start working? We’d like to say that the question has both subjective and objective approaches.

Talking of the subjective approach, the right answer to the aforementioned question could be when a person gathers all the needed qualifications to start working. However, what is of prime importance is the objective part.

Talking of the objective part brings us to the child labor laws. Simply put, there has to be a particular age when it is legal for a child to start working. In India, the government has laid down clear norms for the child labor law. A couple of years ago, the Supreme Court of India declared that it is not legal to employ children who are below 14 years of age. Children, who are between 14-18 years of age, are allowed to work in non-hazardous family enterprises. Only children who are above 18 years of age are allowed to work in any industry.

In this article, we take a look at the minimum age requirements for a job, child labor laws, and if it is important to get a work permit from school. Take a look:

Child Labor Laws

The major reason why child labor laws had to be employed, is that employers love to hire teen employees as they can be made to work for a cheaper price. Teens need money, and the easiest way for them to do that is to get a job. However, soon employers start employing their teen employees because it is easy to manipulate them by giving a small compensation.

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Age Requirement For Jobs

For your knowledge, federal laws in the US have laid down certain guidelines for employers so that they don’t exploit teen employees. The law says that for non-agricultural jobs, one has to be older than 14 years. Children who are between 14-16 years of age should not be made to work for more than 3 hours in a day during the school year. However, if you’re older than 18 years of age, then there are no age restrictions, and you can choose to work in any industry that you want to.

If You’re A Student, Do You Need A Work Permit?

To answer this in short, yes! Almost all the states in the US require you to have a work permit which is approved by your school. You can’t have a job while you’re in school until you don’t have a work permit and meet the minimum age requirement for a job. The good news is that all schools have the forms for a work permit, and can assist you in filling out those forms. In some instances, you might even need to produce an ‘Age Certificate’ as a proof that you meet the minimum age requirement for a particular job.

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So, What Is The Right Age To Start Working?

If you ask us, we would urge you to take up a job only when you cross 18 years of age. It is because of the simple fact that you have more job opportunities when you’re above 18. You’re also better-equipped to take up the responsibilities of your job. If you’re from a third world country like India, working from a young age becomes a necessity sometimes, especially if you come from a humble background. Fortunately, the government has given its nod to children above 14 years of age, to start working, but remember not to send your young child to work in a hazardous industry until he is mentally and physically prepared for it.

Start working when you feel you’re ready and when you meet the minimum age requirement for a job. If you want to add more to this topic, let us know in the comments below.

(Featured Image Courtesy: English Today)