Arkansas Waives Working Hour Restrictions for 17-Year-Olds: Employment Law Manual, Quick Reference Chart Updated
Author: Michael Cardman, XpertHR Legal Editor
Arkansas recently eliminated its restrictions on the hours during which 17-year-olds are allowed to work.
Under the previous law, minors under the age of 18 were not allowed to work:
- More than six days in one week;
- More than 54 hours in one week;
- More than 10 consecutive hours in any day;
- More than 10 hours in a 24-hour period; and
- Before 6:00 a.m. or after 11:00 p.m. unless the child is working on a night preceding a nonschool day.
The state legislature had found that the "excessive time and costs" necessary to comply with these restrictions prompted many employers to hire adults instead of minors, so it passed a bill lowering the minimum age for unrestricted work from 18 to 17.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed the bill into law on February 25. The law took effect immediately.
As a result of this development, the Child Labor: Arkansas section of the Employment Law Manual and the Child Labor Working Hour Restrictions by State Quick Reference chart have been updated.