Oregon Child Labor Laws

In 1913, Oregon enacted the first minimum wage law, which began regulation of wages paid to minors. This law later influenced the start of a national minimum wage standard, developed as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938

Child Labor Laws in Oregon For Minors Under 14

Oregon Child Labor Laws are administered by the Bureau of Labor and Industries. Minors under the age of 14 are prohibited from working, with a few exceptions. These include newspaper carrying and household work in private homes. Children between the ages of nine and 11 may work in hand-harvesting on farms. Minors aged 12 and 13 may work on farms outside of school hours. Both age groups require written parental permission.

Entertainment jobs, such as performing, acting, modeling, or singing are permitted for all children over 15 days old.

Child Labor Laws in Oregon For Minors 14 and 15 Years Old

Minors 14 and 15 years old may work in certain jobs, but are not required to have a work permit.

They are prohibited from working in establishments which sell or serve alcohol for consumption.

Fourteen and 15 year olds may not work in the following Hazardous Occupations:

Manufacturing/Processing
Workshop/Warehouse Jobs
Work on Boats/Docks

Construction
Door-to-Door Sales
Pressure Washing

Cooking with an Open Flame/Bakery Oven
Work with Golf Carts
Lumber Loading

Land Clearing
Washing/Loading/Unloading Trucks
Wood Cutting/Sawing

Work on Ladders/Scaffolding
Work in Grain Elevators
Work in Commercial Laundries

Surveying
Amusement Park Work
Gravel/Sand Plant Work

Power Mowing/Cutting/Blowing

They are also prohibited from working in the following Hazardous Farming Occupations:

Work in Grain Warehouses

Cattle Handling
Well Digging
Work in Feed Mills with Power-Driven Machinery

Work in Flour Mills with Power-Driven Machinery

They may not work in the Hazardous Occupations listed below prohibiting all minors under 18.

Oregon Child Labor Law details the restrictions as follows:

When public school is in session:

No working during school hours
No more than three hours on school days

A maximum of ten hours on non-school days
A maximum of 18 hours per week
A maximum of six days per week

No earlier than 7am or later than 7pm
Must have a 15 minute break every four hours
Must have a 30 minutes break for every five hours worked

When public school is not in session:

No more than ten hours per day
A maximum of 60 hours per week

A maximum of six days per week
No earlier than 6am or later than 10pm
Must have a 15 minute break every four hours

Must have a 30 minutes break for every five hours worked

Child Labor Laws in Oregon For Minors 16 and 17 Years Old

Minors 16 and 17 years old may work in a variety of jobs with no work permit. They are not allowed to work in establishments which sell or serve alcohol for consumption.

They may not work in the following Hazardous Occupations which prohibit all minors under 18:

Work with Power-Driven Machinery
Operating Bakery Equipment
Logging/Saw Mill

Work Relating to Forest Fires
Roofing
Excavation in Trenches over Four Feet

Work with Explosives/Demolitions/Wrecking
Slaughtering/Meat Packing
Work with Saws/Nail Guns

Mining
Manufacturing of Brick/Tile
Exposure to Radioactive Substances