Extended Hours on Sundays and Holidays: Minors aged sixteen and seventeen can now work more than eight hours on Sundays and holidays, even if there is school the next day.
Weekly Hour Waiver: Parents and school superintendents can waive the thirty-hours-per-week work limitation during the school session.
Consecutive Workdays: The minimum age for minors to work more than six consecutive days is lowered from seventeen to fifteen.
Mandatory Meal Breaks: Minors working eight hours in one day must receive a meal break of at least thirty minutes for every four hours of continuous work.
Exclusions and Waivers
Home and Virtual Education Programs: Work hour restrictions do not apply to minors in home education or approved virtual instruction programs where they are separated from the teacher by time only.
Hardship Waivers: School superintendents can waive work hour restrictions for minors enrolled in an educational institution under hardship conditions like economic necessity or family emergencies.
Domestic and Parental Employment: Hourly restrictions do not apply to minors working in domestic service in private homes or those employed by their parents.
Special Circumstances: The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation can waive restrictions for minors based on extenuating circumstances, determined on a case-by-case basis.
Compliance and Penalties
Misdemeanor Charges: Employers violating employment restrictions on minors may face misdemeanor charges, with each day of violation considered a separate offense.
Remedial Actions: Employers may be required to take remedial actions if found in violation of the new law.
