Summer apprenticeship unpaid help

[RozR]

I have been approached by a customer who has a daughter that is not quite 16. He is wondering if I would be willing to allow her to shadow me for a few hours a week. She is very artistic and is interested in exploring future interest in art and associated businesses.

What are my legal, labor law or insurance ramifications if I do in fact do this.

I know there have been posts/threads regarding some of these issues.

Thank you,

Roz

[dns ynko]

ok i don't have an answer, but an add on if someone knows about this stuff. what if you set up an iternship through a college? can that be done?

i have an idea for the future and just wondering?
dddnniiss

[Ron Eggers]

I used to take interns from the interior design department at our local technical college. One of them was so good, I hired him when the internship was over.

I don't remember any special problems with liability or insurance, but it was a while ago.

Check with your insurance person to find out what happens if your intern drops a lite of glass on her foot.

[PurplePerson]

I think this is a wonderful idea, but isn't there a law about letting minors come into a dangerous work situation. Obviously lites of glass, razor blades and saws are a dangerous situation. Has anybody heard of this? I don't think that applies to your own children, just the liability children

[ 07-16-2003, 07:11 PM: Message edited by: Sue Nolan ]

[Jerry Ervin]

Originally posted by Sue Nolan:
I think this is a wonderful idea, but isn't there a law about letting minors come into a dangerous work situation. There is a law about this. I do not know if it is Federal or State. I do know that in North Carolina the only exempt type of business is agriculture. They had to have an out for farmers kids working with chemicals.

Jerry

[Ron Eggers]

I think the term "job shadowing" is quite a bit different from an internship.

The former implies observing, the latter implies an active participation.

Make sure you and your young prospect are in agreement about which she'd be doing.

[JFeig]

I think... it is OSHA that controls underage individuals and "hazardous" equipment. That includes anything that is powered by a source other that human power (other than office equipment) or is sharp or any caustic chemicals.

[jvandy57]

As long as the person is not employed i.e. does not actively produce in the shop, get paid, or handle any "Motorized" equipment, OSHA wouldn't get involved.

Your insurance carrier might have a problem with it however. I would call them and check out the Liability before letting this take place.

[Emibub]

Roz, Check your state laws too. One of the company's I used to work for had a propensity for hiring teenagers. Anyone under the age of 18 technically could not even be in the backroom. Those rules were bent many times due to staff shortage. I had a girl cut herself once in the backroom and she needed stitches. We could not take her to the emergency room, we needed to locate her mother. The hospital would not see her without written consent. We considered dragging her out onto the sidewalk and calling an ambulance, but that would have been wrong. Anyway, it drove the point home as to one reason you don't want children in your frameshop.

[Jim Miller]

Allowing a 16-year-old to follow you around for a few days might not be too much trouble, especially if you feel obligated to the customer whose daughter it is.

But before you consider doing it, please do as others have suggested -- check with your insurance company, your state's bureau of employment services (or whatever they call it in your state), and your lawyer.

If the child should get injured by any sort of accident in your shop, it's possible that you could be in serious trouble. Generally, laws regarding minors are entirely different than laws regarding adults.

Personally, I would immediately decline, as I would feel too much like a babysitter.