VERIFY | Differences in child labor laws in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia

WASHINGTON — The District of Columbia's Office of the Attorney General announced Monday that fast-casual restaurant chain Chipotle would pay the district more than $300,000 to resolve a complaint about its child labor practices. The OAG claimed Chipotle violated the district's child labor ordinance more than 800 times regarding the amount its young employees worked and when they worked.

QUESTION

Does federal law solely dictate how much minors can work and the times in which they are allowed to work?

SOURCES

ANSWER

No, states, districts, and territories set their own laws about when and how much children may work.

WHAT WE FOUND

The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, born out of the Great Depression, enshrined into law many rights for workers, including a federal minimum wage, overtime pay, and restrictions on the employment of minors.

Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia each have laws meant to protect children 16 and 17 years old, as well as more restrictive requirements for children 15 and younger.

In Washington D.C., people 17 and under can work up to eight hours a day, 48 hours per week, and up to six consecutive days a week. For those 16 or 17 years old, work hours may only be between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. For children 15 and younger, work hours are restricted to between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. During the summer period defined as June 1 through Labor Day, the end of the work day for children 15 and younger may be extended to 9 p.m.

Maryland allows children 16 and 17 years old to have a combination of school and work that equals up to 12 hours in a day, so long as they have to have at least 8 consecutive hours off each day. The state allows children who are 14 or 15 years old to work up to three hours per day and up to 18 hours per week during the school year. When school is not in session, they may work no more than eight hours in a day or 40 hours in a week. They may only work between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. during the majority of the year but may work until 9 p.m. between June 1 and Labor Day.

Virginia has no special restrictions for children who are 16 or 17 years old. Workers 15 and younger may work no more than eight hours a day when school is out, and no more than 40 hours over 6 days in a week. During the school year, they are capped at three hours a day and 18 hours a week. Children 15 and younger may only work between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. while school is in session, and not later than 9 p.m. when school is out.