What Should The Legal Work Age Be?

By Adam El-Hakim

Current New York State Legislation prevents minors under the age of 14 from being employed.  Having the opportunity to work can be very rewarding for high school students. Additionally, work experience is a crucial component to improve resumes. 

Despite the restriction being 14 years old, many under this age are eager to start seeking experience. Lowering the employment age to 13 years old can open up doors to helping our youth prepare them for challenges that they will experience in their transition to highschool and so on. There are many simple, easy jobs that could teach a good balance of responsibility while having an opportunity to grow. Employing young mature students will provide several benefits such as helping them develop money management, independence, responsibility, and professionalism.

The moment I turned 14, I began work as a cashier at a small local market in Tarrytown. Over a year later, I’ve continued working at this market for a bit more than a year. Having the opportunity to work as a cashier while in highschool taught me many valuable experiences that cannot be learned inside the classroom. For instance, developing relationships and assisting customers improved my public speaking skills, confidence, and social skills.

The owner of Harvest Field Market voiced his approval of hiring teenagers. He appreciated how it allowed his employees to “grow throughout the years” and “develop” important social skills at “such a young age.” Since job opportunities for teens are limited, I believe that lowering the legal age to work can present further opportunities for these teens, furthering their development to adulthood. 

A simple job will further develop kids’ understanding of how real world responsibility works, and is something that everyone should rather experience early. Working as well is an amazing way to improve one’s transcript while benefiting you financially. Having a job is definitely a good use of one’s freetime, and seeing as teens have a lot of it, it’s hard to find a better time to start working.