Department of Labor Proposes to Stop Youth 16 or Younger from Working

[me&thegals]

Farming is dangerous, I know that, I've seen messy accidents - more often than not, it's the old geezer who should know better. I would be interested in seeing the actual statistics backing up the need for this. How many kids get hurt crossing the street in the city every day? Do we outlaw kids walking outside their house?

Our posts crossed in cyberspace

I agree with you somewhat, but this argument above is forgetting the fact that farmers benefit from cheap young farm labor, the very labor that could injure or kill the child laborer. However, nobody is profiting when children cross the street--it's just part of life.

We adults make laws to protect kids who don't know better, who are powerless and who may be exploited.

 

[FarmerChick]

yea being in an area that employs the older kids you would be seeing this as being intrusive etc.

my area we hire adults for farm work. No one is hiring 15/16 yr old kids on payroll. but I absolutely understand big farms hiring cause help is absolutely required.

but the wording basically says if you employer the younger set, then certified training is required. And certain activities are prohibited.
I guess the prohibitive part puts a kink in some employers situations.


I am absolutely not saying this applies to every older kid, but kids are kids still at 15/16. and coordination/fast reflex etc. are not totally engaged. All things that come with growing up and having experiences. A youngster employed to harvest cabbage or work with strawberry plants in the fields, clean stalls, etc sounds fine to me. But certain work on a farm should be left to men/women who know what the heck they are doing.


I am leaning all over also on this one LOL

 

[FarmerJamie]

Farming is dangerous, I know that, I've seen messy accidents - more often than not, it's the old geezer who should know better. I would be interested in seeing the actual statistics backing up the need for this. How many kids get hurt crossing the street in the city every day? Do we outlaw kids walking outside their house?

Our posts crossed in cyberspace

I agree with you somewhat, but this argument above is forgetting the fact that farmers benefit from cheap young farm labor, the very labor that could injure or kill the child laborer. However, nobody is profiting when children cross the street--it's just part of life.

We adults make laws to protect kids who don't know better, who are powerless and who may be exploited.

Part of our responsibility as adults is to teach those kids to know better. I hear you, but the kids also learn responsibility, get exercise, and some cash along the way. When I was 15 baling hay, getting some green, I didn't feel exploited. Nowadays, I know teenagers who won't work for less than $10 per hour (OH min wage is $7.40). Times sure have changed.

I'm biased, I grew up helping on my grandparents farm in a rural community. Unfortunately, 3 kids lost their lives in my four years of high school - all city kids in car wrecks. Your personal experiences may vary, but I was blessed enough be around adults who taught me to respect the machinery and animals and dangers of the farm. If anyone thought I was becoming immune the danger, I was set straight pretty darn quick.

I had my son mowing the lawn with the lawn tractor at age 11. People we know actually complained that I was putting him at risk and was a horrible dad. I judged him to be mature enough, and I set the parameters on what he was to do and watched him, even thought he didn't know I was watching. I caught him once starting to do something questionable, addressed it immediately, and now I trust him to do the right things where I don't have to watch him constantly.

Maybe I've been lucky and living in a bubble. I'd like to think not.

 

[FarmerChick]

well one thing is a parent/grandparent/relative relationship would mean you would be very concerned about safety. Plus you do know the skill level and maturity of your kid.

and employer/employee relationship is a bit different. You would hope an older manager would take care of a younger employee, but that bond sure isn't there maybe for that extra extra safe teaching etc.

 

[me&thegals]

I'm leaning all over the place, too

FJ--I hear you. My son started driving tractor and Bobcat last year at age 10. He's been mowing with a huge lawnmower 2 years now. We only have poultry and had 1 big hog, so animals aren't an issue. They ride with DH in the combine and in the enclosed tractors.

And I personally employ my kids for absolutely peanuts. I expect them to learn to work for next to nothing. The neighbor kids occasionally, too (this is for my veggie business). Still, though, I can't escape the fact of serious and deadly accidents all the time. I actually forgot in my list above the Bobcat death of a teenage boy in the past few years when he backed off an embankment, rolled it and was crushed to death.

Yet, I hate to push kids even further into uselessness. I think it's hard to find the line between apathy and irresponsibility. I want my kids to be hard workers, but I could never, ever live with myself if they were killed while working for my/our financial gain. I nag DH quite a bit about farm safety with the kids.

 

[me&thegals]

well one thing is a parent/grandparent/relative relationship would mean you would be very concerned about safety. Plus you do know the skill level and maturity of your kid.

and employer/employee relationship is a bit different. You would hope an older manager would take care of a younger employee, but that bond sure isn't there maybe for that extra extra safe teaching etc.

Excellent point, and it sounds like the law is taking that into account.

 

[FarmerJamie]

well one thing is a parent/grandparent/relative relationship would mean you would be very concerned about safety. Plus you do know the skill level and maturity of your kid.

and employer/employee relationship is a bit different. You would hope an older manager would take care of a younger employee, but that bond sure isn't there maybe for that extra extra safe teaching etc.

I never worked for a farmer that my dad or granddad didn't know or trust. One guy wanted my help, but my dad said no because he didn't trust the guy's judgement

I guess my whole perspective is young people working locally within the community, not any sort of migrant workers (which may be what's underlying this whole law).

 

[FarmerChick]

yea I can see that FJ
I would think smaller communities etc. you would only let your kid work for a farm you knew and knew the people kind of thing.

I am like Gals tho. that thought of a kid getting hurts just nags me also. I know my kid is 6 and is learning how to drive the small tractor with Daddy. He is teaching her the gears and safety and all that mess cause she will be driving it before ya know it. But that nag of 'omg' with a kid on a real dangerous machine just gnaws at me. ugh

heck I see the 'almost' situations that hubby gets into and think, wow he could have died very easy on that problem. see too many of those stupid close calls. ugh

I don't know..maybe a girl thingy LOL