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Loading...Maine Governor: Allowing Kids to Work 50 Hours a Week “Not A Big Deal”
The governor of Maine has now signed a bill into law that will roll back some of the protections placed to ensure that businesses protect employees under the age of 18.
Governor Paul LePage has signed legislation allowing teens to work up to 50 hours a week, as well as up to 8 hours a day after school, when maximum conditions are met.
Via Digital Journal:
Generally, the hourly increases under the law are modest. The daily maximum increased from 4 to 6 hours per day, with the total during a full week of school rising from 20 to 24 hours. These standards apply on weeks that have at least three days of school, and except both the first and last week of school. However, the maximum, under certain circumstances, nearly doubles. A child may work 8 hours following school on the last scheduled school day of that week, and 50 hours per week during any week that has three or fewer school days. A child may also work until 10:15PM on any school night. This means, that with respect to enforcement, a child may, on any given day be working until 10:15PM without appearing to violate the statute, unless the child’s full schedule is documented, documented correctly, and such documentation is available for inspection.
According to the Journal, argument revolved around the fact that teens make up a large percentage of the minimum wage jobs in the state. No doubt many businesses have an interest in maximizing the amount of work that can be done by these low income earners, rather than actually provide a higher, living wage for the work so that employees who don’t need to be in school, but also have to support themselves and possibly families, can afford to take those jobs.
Luckily, the additional proposal to create a subminimum wage for workers under age 20 appears to have failed.
Maine currently has an 8 percent unemployment rate.
LaPage, who says he worked since the age of 11, claims the change in law is “not a big deal.” “Work never hurt anybody.”
Read more: child labor, politics, workers rights
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206 comments
+ add your ownyou've got to be kidding me
Sorry, Earnie M., but for me it's obvious you spent too much time working instead of going to classes and learn English. If a child want to take a part-time job to get some spending money or save to buy something, it's OK. But it should not be forced upon them and the hours should be adjusted so they can concentrate on getting good grades and learn for life. Child labor is not the way of a modern society to progress, Almost all Developing countries use child labor and it hasn't helped in their progree. More to the opposite, because only a few children can enroll in school and enter university. When a majority of children are working instead of getting an education, the country itself falls back and can not progress.
LaPage is foul.
Yes, let's let children work more hours than many adults, PLUS try to keep their grades up. Just because he decided to give his daughter a $40,000+/year entry level job as soon as he was sworn into office doesn't mean others have that luxury. I am ashamed to have him as the governor of Maine, and am incredibly disappointed that he was elected by the people. I remember watching the gubernatorial debates and thinking nobody in their right mind would vote for this guy. He oozed sleaze out of every pore and orifice, and nothing that came out of his mouth even sounded intelligent... which is precisely what he has carried into his "service". He embarrasses Maine every time he opens his mouth. This is the same guy who also decided to do nothing about BPA regulation in products such as baby bottles, because according to him, from "studying the scientific research", the only problem BPA causes is facial hair on women and that is also no big deal for our dear governor. I wonder if it affected a part of the male anatomy if he might have a different take.
Not a big deal? It will be when these kids start getting bad marks in school, and it sabotages their schooling to the point they can't make it into college or get a job at McDonald's because they can't do basic math...
Anyone who would endorse this or actually push it at their own business should be considered a child abuser. I could half understand during the summer, but this also takes jobs away from adults.
He should send his own kids to India to work in the coal mines, then.
Dear god ... child slavery back on the books.??? this sould go soooo wrong!!!
I disagree with this law on one issue...I think schools should be year round. Give the kids a few weeks off in the summer, but the school year in my opinion should not be less then 45-47 weeks a year
Let LePage's children/grandchildren work 50 hours a week til after 10pm. and then let LePage drop dead!! That piece of garbage!! RECALL OR IMPEACH HIM!!!
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