AgWorks: Do You Hire Youth? AgWorks Can Review Your Policies

Recently, farmers in Pennsylvania have been contacted by the PA Department of Labor and Industry and Child Labor practices have been called into question. If you employ children under 18 who are not family on your farm or in your business, you will want to review the following:

• Dangerous Jobs Not Permitted by Youth under 18 Years of Age
• Fact Sheet #40: Overview of Youth Employment (Child Labor) Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for Agricultural Occupations

Note that in Pennsylvania, school-aged students under 18 are not permitted to work during school hours, even if they are enrolled in a home school or cyber program.

There are circumstances in which youth may be paid less than PA's minimum wage on PA farms. But how does one know for sure? Consider a consultation with AgWorks.

From 2025 to 2027, Penn State Extension and the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law will partner to provide the AgWorks Program. This initiative aims to support employers, expand opportunities for workers, and enhance employment conditions throughout the agricultural sector.​ As part of the AgWorks program, the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law will provide legal consulting and present 20+ employment law programs. If your business employs 2+ employees or plans to hire in the next 12 months, Registerfor business consulting.

The Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law will not engage in legal representation of project clients and will provide education and resources to assist project clients in understanding their legal issues in preparation for retaining an attorney for representation, if desired, or the retention of another type of service provider to attempt to address the issues raised.

All legal consultations shall be conducted in a confidential manner, and all data and documentation concerning each client shall be handled confidentially in perpetuity or destroyed at the conclusion of the grant work period, according to the project clients’ wishes.

AgWorks is funded 100% with federal funds from a US Department of Labor grant totaling $1,325,699.00 and 0% ($0.00) non-federal funds. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Equal Opportunity Employer/Program.