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POTENTIAL WORKFORCE
HIRING TEEN WORKERS TAKING THE EXTRA STEPS REQUIRED TO HIRE A TEEN WORKER CAN PAY OFF IN THE LONG TERM
It’s no secret the home building industry faces a workforce shortage. With many teens and young adults now taking a second look into skilled trade careers as an alternate path rather than the traditional four-year college route, it is important to give them early exposure to our industry. One option for BIAW members is to hire teens for summer or part time work. Teen workers can be given meaningful tasks—but it’s up to employers to follow the rules on teen workers set by the Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). Like BIAW President Rick Hjelm mentioned in his article (see page 4) maybe, your summer-time teen worker will develop a liking to the industry and turn their part-time job into a lifelong career.
GET THE RULES
L&I has an entire section dedicated to hiring teen workers on their website. It covers all the basics—from required forms and publications to everything in between. (More detailed steps to take before hiring a teen are on page 4. ) Check out these additional resources—how to hire a teen at www.lni.wa.gov/WorkPlaceRights/TeenWorkers— and FAQs at www.lni.wa.gov/ipub/700-022-000.pdf.
PROHIBITED TASKS FOR MINORS Washington state and federal laws spell out what type of jobs are prohibited for all minors under 18. The following are some construction and related industry tasks that are prohibited. THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE LIST. Refer to WAC 296-125-030 for more details. n Roofing: all work on or around a roof n Working at heights greater than 10 feet off the ground or floor level n Driving, or working near, a forklift n Wrecking and demolition n Hoists and cranes n Flagging and work on roadways n Trenching or excavating n Boilers or in engine rooms n Power-driven woodworking or metal-forming machines n Earth-moving machines or working in proximity to earth-moving machines n Logging and sawmill work n Manufacturing of brick, tile and similar products n Jobs where exposures require the use of respiratory protection or hearing protection
JUNE ’19
VOL. 29, ISSUE 6
