Posted by Jennie Neilsen.
To loosen child-labor restrictions and to make it easier for minors to work without a permit, Arkansas enacted a new state law entitled the Youth Hiring Act. According to the article, this new law “ended a requirement that businesses must obtain a work permit from the Department of Labor and Licensing if they want to employ a child under 16 years old” (Flores & Calfas). Before the Youth Hiring Act was passed in Arkansas, a parent or guardian would have to co-sign for their child to receive a working permit and then employers would have to tell the state how many days and hours the minor was expected to work. Those in favor of this law believe that lightening the child-labor requirements removes an unnecessary burden for businesses and enables parents to make decisions for their children without permission from the government. Those opposed to this new law argue that it removed an essential, protective measure that helped to ensure the hours worked by minors were not violating federal child labor laws. More states like Georgia, Iowa, Missouri, and Ohio are now beginning to introduce similar bills that seek to ease child-labor protections and alter the hours minors can work.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders believes that protecting children is very important, but that the state’s permit requirement was a huge burden for parents and businesses. Governor Sanders has made it clear that all protective child-labor laws still apply, and businesses are expected to comply to these laws as always. Proponents of the Youth Hiring Act believe that it is positive because legislation is modernizing state law and more people are being exposed to the workforce, aiding industries that are experiencing work shortages. Senator Tim Schaffer, a sponsor of the bill, is quoted saying, “giving more power to these families, to the schools and the employers, more power and more flexibility, is really what they want” (Flores & Calfas). Yet, with more power comes more responsibility. Opponents still worry that certain parents will choose to take advantage of the Youth Hiring Act and exploit their children for more money. They also worry that this new state law will expose children to more dangerous jobs and longer shifts. The Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing has not yet responded to such concerns.
In my opinion, the Youth Hiring Act may serve as a positive change for Arkansas so long as the state regulates federal child labor laws and ensures that children are not being exploited by adults. I agree with the proponents who argue that lightening the child-labor requirements removes an unnecessary burden for businesses and enables parents to make decisions for their children without permission from the government. Families, schools, and employers need more flexibility to combat the work shortage and to increase productivity in a safe, moral, and legal way for children. The Youth Hiring Act is not going against protective child labor laws, but rather, modernizing state law to improve upon how children are legally able to work.
Jennie is a finance and technology student at the Stillman School of Business, Seton Hall University, Class of 2026.
Article Link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/states-look-to-ease-some-child-labor-laws-amid-tight-market-a46322c6?page=1