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Working Class of High School Students

In Ohio, there are a plethora of high school students with jobs. These students have to learn to balance school life, home life, work life, and their mental health. That’ll most definitely require very good organizational skills. This topic involves Child Labor Laws, pros and cons to working while in high school, and also my opinion on the subject.

Child labor laws state that students/minors under 16 years old may not work more than 3 hours on any given school day. Fourteen to Fifteen-year-olds cannot work more than 18 hours on school weeks, for more than 8 hours a day when school is not in session, and no more than 40 hours a week when school is not in session. There are no limits for 16 and 17 year olds besides how early and late they can work on school nights and not school nights. There are many limitations to jobs minors are allowed to work as well, these include jobs involving chemicals, power-driven machines, wrecking or demolition jobs, etc. All minors working while in school must have a work permit given to them from their school.

The pros of working while in high school can be extensive. Minors can learn to budget their time, manage their money, and become prepared for college, where they’ll face all of this on an even bigger scale. They are also able to figure out if a certain career path is right for them, if they want to be a teacher, they could become a camp counselor while still in high school, etc.

The cons to this can pile up, students can become stressed and they can lose some valuable time where they get to be kids. Students may become distracted from coursework, every hour they spend working, is an hour they lose for valuable study time. Financial aid can also possibly go down for students with jobs, depending on the amount they make. Students should most definitely keep an eye out for that.

In conclusion, there are many students working while still in high school and it’s up to them to budget their time and to keep their mental health in a good place. In my opinion, I believe that it’s possible for some people and impossible for others to manage so many things and stay afloat. Your success depends on your management.

Works Cited

Blake, Caitrin. "High School Students With Jobs: The Pros and Cons." Concordia University Online & Campus Graduate, Undergrad Education Programs. 4 Jun 2015. Web. 7 Sep 2018. <http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/high-school-student-jobs/>.

"Child Labor Laws in Ohio 2018 - Minimum-Wage.org ."Minimum-Wage.org - Minimum Wage Rates, History, and Labor Law Info . MinimumWage.org, Web. 7 Sep 2018. <http://www.minimum-wage.org/ohio/child-labor-laws>.

Ohio Department of Commerce Home Page. Web. 7 Sep 2018. <http://www.com.ohio.gov/documents/laws_MLLPoster.pdf>.

Snider, Susannah . "The Pros and Cons of Having Your Teen Work a Part-Time Job." U.S. News. U.S. News, 18 Jul 2017. Web. 7 Sep 2018. <http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/family-finance/articles/2017-07-18/the-pros-and-cons-of-having-your-teen-work-a-part-time-job>.

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