The rights of workers are violated in many ways, and we have explored many of these types of violations on our blog. It is important to keep in mind that every worker is in a unique position and every case is different. If you are a teen or you are the parent of a young worker, there are a number of unique issues that you should take into consideration to make sure that your rights (or your child’s rights) are not violated in the workplace. Moreover, you should not hesitate to take action in the event that wrongdoing has occurred.
When it comes to workers who are minors, there are a number of special considerations. For example, there are laws to protect minors from excessive work that could interfere with their ability to succeed in school. Unfortunately, some young workers are taken advantage of and they do not recognize that their rights have been violated. Other violations include denied overtime, denied breaks as well as sexual harassment and discrimination.
In some instances, a teen worker may know that his or her rights were violated, but they may fail to address the violation(s) because they are worried about retaliation. For example, a young worker may be worried that they will be unable to find another job if they speak out, or they may worry about other consequences. However, retaliation is unlawful as well, and teen workers (as well as their parents) should never tolerate any form of mistreatment in the workplace.
