Teen workers can be paid the minimum wage for 90 days

In the United States, Art federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, the same rate as it has been since 2009.

In February a the post went viral on Twitter which featured a photo of a young teenager working at a fast food restaurant somewhere in the US. It also showed another photo of a sign asking parents to see if their 14- or 15-year-old child would like to apply for a job at a Burger King in Ohio.

The tweet, which has garnered more than 6 million views since it was first posted on Feb. 5, ignited a debate over whether 14-year-old workers can legally be paid less than the federal minimum wage.

Can 14-year-old workers be paid less than the federal minimum wage?

Yes, 14-year-old workers — and anyone under 20 — can be paid less than the federal minimum wage for the first 90 consecutive calendar days of work. After that, they should be paid at least the minimum wage.

In the US, there can be workers between the ages of 14 and 19 paid less than federal minimum wage for a limited period of time. Under Fair Labor Standards Act, employers are allowed to pay teenagers a minimum wage of $4.25 an hour during the first 90 days of employment, unless prohibited by state or local law. After that, they must be paid at least the federal minimum wage.

The Fair Labor Standards Act is a federal law that sets a general minimum wage that must be paid to all covered workers. The law sets the age at 14 minimum age for most non-agricultural workers in the US too borders the number of hours that teenagers under the age of 16 can work. There are different age requirements for employment youth in agriculture.

The law states that employers must pay a minimum wage for youth at least $4.25 per hour for employees under the age of 20 for the first 90 consecutive calendar days after initial employment. The 90-day period begins on the first day of employment with the employer and continues even if the employee is terminated from pay during that time.

“It doesn’t matter when the offer was made or accepted (or when the employee was considered ‘hired'”). The 90-day period begins on (and includes) the first day of employment for the employer,” the US Department of Labor said in a statement. explains on his website. “A 90-day period is counted as consecutive calendar days, not work days. And it doesn’t matter how many days during this period the youth actually do any work.”

After the 90-day period ends, employers are required to pay workers under the age of 20 at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. U states if the minimum wage differs from the federal minimum wage, workers are entitled to the higher wage.

According to the Department of Labor, art federal youth employment requirements limit the time of day and the number of hours that 14- and 15-year-olds can work. For example, teenagers in this age group are only allowed to work outside of school hours. They cannot work:

• More than 3 hours on a school day, including Friday;
• More than 18 hours per week during school hours;
• More than 8 hours a day when the school is not in school;
• More than 40 hours per week when school is not in session; and
• Before 7:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. any day, except June 1 through Labor Day, when night hours are extended to 9:00 p.m.

The Labor Department says young people of any age can casually babysit, deliver newspapers, work as an actor or entertainer in film, television, radio or theater, or work in businesses owned by their parents.

Teenagers aged 14 and 15 can work in a diversity non-productive and hazardous work, including retail, entertainment and some catering roles. Meanwhile, 16 and 17-year-olds can do any work that has not been claimed are dangerous. Teenagers over 18 can work at any job at any time.