An outdated guide to Indiana's child labor laws hangs in a Northwest Indiana office after a new state statute that took effect Jan. 1, 2025, scrapped limits on the daily and weekly working hours of individuals between 16 and 18 years old. Dan Carden, The Times
Indiana law no longer limits the daily or weekly working hours of individuals between 16 and 18 years old who are employed in nonhazardous occupations.
A state statute approved last year by the Republican-controlled General Assembly and Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb — that took effect Jan. 1, 2025 — eliminated Indiana-specific teen employment restrictions in favor of the minimum standards set by federal law.
As a result, Indiana no longer caps the working hours of 16-18 year olds to nine hours a day, 40 hours in a school week, and 48 hours in a nonschool week — so long as wages and overtime are paid appropriately.
Also gone is a six-day maximum work week, a prohibition on teens starting their work day before 6 a.m., and the requirement that a teen working overnight be paired with an adult coworker.
Work hour limits remain in place for 14- and 15-year-olds. Though teens working at family-owned businesses or no longer attending school are exempt in some circumstances.
Northwest Indiana state Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer, sponsored House Enrolled Act 1093 (2024). He said the law change supports Hoosier teenagers who want hands-on experience in the workplace.
"During my teenage years, I took great pride in the experience and opportunities I earned from working," Culp said. "By updating our laws, we can give more young Hoosiers the opportunity to learn new and useful skills outside the classroom while also making sure they're protected."
Records show Indiana collected $227,850 in penalties from employers who violated work hour standards for 16- and 17-year-old employees during the 2023 state budget year.
The new law likely will halve the penalty revenue of Indiana's Labor Education and Youth Employment Fund that pays the salaries of child labor law inspectors, funds a database of employers who hire young people, and educates employers about child labor laws.
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