Bob Gregg, a partner in Boardman Law Firm, shares his roundup of diversity-related legal issues. He can be reached at rgregg@boardmanlawfirm.com.
The child-labor duties and hour restrictions are not the only concerns regarding employment of teenagers. There are a growing number of cases involving sexual harassment and other abusive-environment issues. Teens are among the most vulnerable, most likely people to be harassed or abused in the workplace. Yet, because they are often part-time, low-wage, short-term employees, they too often receive the least attention, the least information and, unfortunately, the least concern when they try (sometimes naively, without knowing the right process or even the right terms) to express concerns.
Employers who hire teens have a special duty of care to actually pay more attention and devote more concern than is given to adult employees. The following cases are illustrative. (For more information, see Child Labor Duty of Care at Child Labor Articles.)
