Welcome to the Workforce

media release: As teens prepare to enter the workforce for the summer months, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development has planned a "Welcome to the Workforce" outreach initiative in April and May aimed at students, parents and employers.

This effort to educate students, parents and employers on their rights and responsibilities comes as Gov. Tony Evers has declared April "Welcome to the Workforce Month" with a proclamation marking key historical achievements in regulating child labor.

"Teen participation in the workforce helps businesses succeed and our economy thrive, while offering valuable life skills that are learned on the job," said DWD Secretary Amy Pechacek. "Teens' early work experiences also helps put them on the path to successful careers."

Wisconsin teens also play a critical role in the state's economy, especially when it comes to Wisconsin's leisure, hospitality, and retail businesses. Wisconsin teens' labor force participation rate for 16- to 19-year-olds is 55.3%, more than 18% higher than the national average.

As part of the Welcome to the Workforce initiative, DWD will host a webinar 2-3 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, 2024, featuring representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, and Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Equal Rights and Youth Apprenticeship programs. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is via Eventbrite.

Throughout April and May, DWD is partnering with community stakeholders and the Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Consortia for nine job fairs and events in Monroe, Green Bay, Evansville, Turtle Lake, Janesville, West Salem, Melrose, Gillett, and Tomahawk.

The Welcome to the Workforce webinar and stakeholder events will help teens, parents, and employers understand their rights and responsibilities while in the workforce and employing new workers. Topics will include getting a job and securing a work permit, worker rights, employer responsibilities, career pathways, and youth apprenticeship opportunities. The sessions also will touch on ensuring safety at work and keeping school a priority when classes are in session.

Minors who are 14 or 15 years old must obtain a work permit after they have received an offer of employment and before they begin working. Work permits may be applied for online by parents and guardians.

"We are responsible for ensuring the health, safety and welfare of minors in the workforce, and enforcing the work permit requirement is one way we maintain the integrity of Wisconsin's minor employment laws," said Equal Rights Division Administrator Ramona L. Natera.

Employers, students and their parents should know that Wisconsin, like the federal government, has rules that determine how long younger employees can work and when. Students of any age cannot work during school hours unless they are youth apprentices participating in a school-based work training program.

Teens who are 14 or 15 years old may work up to three hours each school day and eight hours on weekends or days when school is not in session. If these teens have more than one job, they still cannot exceed this maximum number of work hours. Shifts of six or more hours require a 30-minute duty-free break.

State and federal laws also permit minors 12 or older to work up to seven days per week in the delivery of newspapers, as caddies, and in agriculture. In most other types of labor, minors under 16 may only work six days a week.

Work hours are mostly unrestricted for 16- and 17-year-olds, however they still cannot work during any hours in which they are required to attend school. Like younger students, they also should receive a 30-minute unpaid break during a shift lasting six hours or longer. To work after 11 p.m., this group needs eight hours between one shift ending and the start of another.

Welcome to the Workforce Video Library

The DWD Equal Rights Division created the Welcome to the Workforce teen video series which feature students discussing topics ranging from youth apprenticeship and working with a disability to workplace safety and what to do if harassed on the job.