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Each year, camps in the U.S. employ thousands of staff members who are
under the age of eighteen. The federal laws that provide regulations for
child and youth labor are contained in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
(There is no seasonal-worker exemption from the child and youth labor
provisions of the FLSA.) In addition, all states have enacted child and
youth employment laws. Where the state and federal laws differ, employers
must comply with the higher standard.
In June 2005, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) established new guidelines
for the employment of lifeguards. One example of the changes is that fifteen-year-olds
may no longer serve as lifeguards on natural bodies of water (such as
your camp lake). In addition, those under the age of sixteen are not permitted
to enter or work in any chemical storage areas, including any areas where
filtration and chlorinating systems are housed. This is an important new
restriction, because some camps may be using fifteen-year-old, certified
lifeguards in training programs — such as CIT programs. For details
of these new guidelines, visit:
www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/whdfs60.htm.
With these changes comes an important reminder for all camps that it
is critical that you understand and abide by all child and youth labor
laws. Now is the time to review the regulations relevant to your situation
and to plan for your 2006 budget accordingly. Important resources of information
are:
Originally published in the 2005 Fall issue
of The CampLine.
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