O[yes] Parent Tip Sheet

Do you have teens about to start work or new to work? Did you know that young people under the age of 25 are twice as likely to get hurt on-the-job than older workers? Learn about what you can do to help prepare your teen to be safer at work. Download the O[yes] Parent Tip Sheet.

Know the risks and the laws

Working too many hours or too late may be harmful to teens. Teens can and do get hurt in a variety of work places. Learn more from Oregon OSHA about workplace safety and health for young workers in Oregon. Oregon labor law prohibits teens from working late and/or long hours, and from doing especially dangerous work. Oregon OSHA requires that the workplace be safe, and that workers receive health and safety training on the tasks they do.

Child labor and health & safety regulations

Learn about Oregon’s child labor laws from BOLI.

Get a job, work safe (English) and  Consigue un empleo, trabaja de manera segura (Spanish)

Watch for warning signs

• Tiredness: Is your teen always tired or complaining of not getting enough rest?
• Lost Interest: Has your teen lost interest in school, extracurricular activities, or no longer has time for family and friends?
• Work Injuries: Has your teen or other employees been injured on the job?
• Unhappy at work: Does your teen appear unhappy with work? Often teens find it difficult to talk about sexual harassment or workplace stress.
• Business citation: Has your teen’s workplace been recently cited for child labor violations?

What tasks do they do?

Talk frequently about your teen’s job. Find out what tasks they are asked to do. For example, are they asked to do heavy lifting? Work alone for extended periods?

Was your teen trained for the job?

If your teen is asked to perform a new task, he/she should be trained before doing it. What are potential workplace hazards? Ask your teen’s opinion of the workplace. Are there slippery floors, locked or blocked exit doors, crowded workplaces, and machines without safety guards?

Is the supervisor present?

Find out if the supervisor shows concern towards the employees and encourages questions.

Help resolve work problems

If your teen has concerns about hours or safety at work, help him or her think about what change is needed and why, whose help they might need, and how to approach the supervisor.

Set limits on work hours. If your teen is overtired or having trouble keeping up with schoolwork, he or she may be working too many hours. Help your teen reduce his or her work hours.

Where can parents find more information?

For more information or to make a complaint, contact one of these agencies.

To make a health or safety complaint:

• Oregon OSHA
  (800) 922-2689

To make a complaint about wages or work hours:

• Oregon Wage and Hour Division
  (971) 673-0844
• US. Department of Labor
  (866) 487-9243

For information about benefits for injured workers:

• Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division
  (800) 452-0288

To make a complaint about sexual harassment or discrimination:

• Oregon Civil Rights Division
  (971) 673-0764
• US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
  (800) 669-4000

Updates

• #KeepTeenWorkersSafe Campaign
  O joins organizations around the country in a campaign to increase awareness and promote workplace safety and health resources for teen workers. During this campaign, you too can share information with other young workers, parents, teachers, and employers! This effort is part of a larger campaign to protect teen workers at their jobs year-round. The ...
• Young workers and COVID-19
  Getting a job in the middle of a pandemic may feel scary, but we know that taking the time to learn more about COVID-19 and other job hazards, along with precautions you can take, makes a difference. Join Averie Foster from Oregon OSHA and O Board Member Dede Montgomery, who works at the Oregon ...
• Young workers and COVID-19
  Most workers have experienced additional stresses related to work during the pandemic, and young workers are no different. In fact, young workers may be even more impacted during this period of time because of their lack of work experience, seniority and telework opportunities, making most jobs public-facing. Additionally, some of the factors that put young ...
• Life on mute: how to prevent hearing loss
  Hearing loss – you may think that’s something that happens to people just when they get older.  Not the case, according to Deafness and hearing loss, a March 2020 news piece by the World Health Organization (WHO): 60% of childhood hearing loss is due to preventable causes. 1.1 billion young people (aged between 12–35 years) are at ...
• Parkrose High School Students Win Safety Video Contest
  Students at Parkrose High School in Portland won $500 for their first-place video titled “The Safety Bros” in an annual safety video contest that promotes young worker safety and the importance of speaking up. Bouncing with music, energy, and humor, the video features a duo of workplace safety and health bros who rally a group of ...
• Finalists named in 2019 high school safety video contest
  High school students across the state created videos that are full of drama, music, humor, and captivating characters to boost awareness about workplace safety – all with the central message, “Speak up. Work safe.” The Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O) sponsors the annual video contest to engage teen workers, who are twice as likely ...
• Finalists named in 2018 high school safety video contest
  High school students across the state created videos that are full of drama, music, humor, and captivating characters to bolster awareness about workplace safety – all with the central message, “Speak up. Work safe.” The Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O) sponsors the annual video contest to engage teen workers, who are twice as likely ...
• Young employee safety awareness online training – now available!
  Check out this free young employee safety awareness online training! Complete this 45 minute, flexible online course and get a certificate from Oregon OSHA. This training provides young workers with awareness of health and safety at work. It will enhance the youth’s understanding of young worker injuries, finding and controlling hazards, the rights and responsibilities they ...
• Parent tips: Keeping young workers safe
  Getting a first job is an important milestone. This experience can be very  rewarding. It also may expose your teen to hazardous tasks and worksite conditions. Young workers are far more likely than adults to be injured at work, even though they work fewer hours and are prohibited from doing some particularly dangerous jobs. Take this ...