Question

The Department of Labor is the sole federal agency that monitors child labor and enforces child labor laws.  The most sweeping federal law that restricts the employment and abuse of child workers is the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).  Child labor provisions under FLSA are designed to protect the educational opportunities of youth and prohibit their employment in jobs that are detrimental to their health and safety.  FLSA restricts the hours that youth under 16 years of age can work and lists hazardous occupations too dangerous for young workers to perform.  Enforcement of the FLSA’s child labor provisions is handled by the Department’s Wage and Hour Division.  Child labor laws on Federal and state levels exist to prevent the exploitation of minors for labor, and ensure that education is prioritized over work.  Limitations on child labor vary by age, and may include restrictions on the types of work that can be done, maximum hours that may be worked, and limitations on late or overnight work.  In the state of Ohio minors under 16 can work 8 hours  per day, 40 per week when school is out.  During a school week, 3 hours of work are permitted per day and up to 18 hours per week.  Ohio has no restrictions on maximum working hours for minors aged 16 and 17.

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Answer 1

Child labor is considered to be a global concern as it exploits them mentally and physically.Some works are dangerous for the children, some are illegal. It takes away the opportunity form them to go to school and develop their potential. According to International Labour Organization (ILO) stats child labor amounts up to 152 million children in 2017. There are many laws trying to protect the rights of the children and providing them with better opportunities to have a better living. But we need to know the perspective of the children as well. Why do they even work? Poverty is the main reason. Having a large number of mouths to feed in a poor family it is not possible for a single person to take the burden so they send their children to work. That can be controlled. But there are grave situations like many are orphans who lost their parents in war, natural calamity or because of any other reason. They have no other option to earn their bread than to work.

So the situation is much more grave than it seems at the first glance and needs serious attention and much powerful laws and alternatives as well.