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Alaska Workers Under 19 Banned from Selling Cigarettes

November 29th, 2007 Posted by Amelia

A new Alaska law prohibits workers who are under the age of 19 from selling cigarettes. Senate Bill 84, sponsored by Senator Donald Olson, went into effect statewide on October 16, 2007.

Approved Minor Work Permits issued by the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development are still in effect for workers under the age of 19. However, if the work permit lists “selling cigarettes” as a job duty, the young person will no longer be able to perform that part of their duties.

A number of young workers voiced a concern that this measure will limit employment opportunities even further. In recent months, the states jobless rate has crept up from 4.8% to 6.3%. Alaska’s unemployment rate remains in the nation’s highest 10%.

This measure was enacted because under Alaska law, a person must be at least 19 years old to purchase cigarettes or tobacco products. Legislators feared that a convenience store or gas station clerk under 19 working alone would be likely to sell cigarettes to an underage friend, or to purchase them herself. For that reason, state legislators took the step to make it illegal for people too young to purchase cigarettes, to sell them.

Other aspects of the Alaska Child Labor Laws are unchanged. Like many other states, Alaska limits the number of hours and days that young people can be employed, and the jobs that they may hold.

Anyone under the age of 16 must have a valid work permit on file with the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development to hold down a job. Youths aged 17 must also have permits to work in a restaurant with a liquor license.

Any employee under the age of 18 is entitled to a 30-minute meal break when scheduled to work 6 hours or more. No youth can be required to work more than 5 hours without a meal break.

Under state law, youths under the age of 14 may work in only a few clearly designated jobs. Those include newspaper sales and delivery, and babysitting. Youngsters under the age of 14 can also do handiwork or work in or about a private home doing chores and domestic duties. Youngsters are permitted to be entertainers, however, they must have an approved work permit from the Alaska Wage & Hour Administration.

Youths aged 14 and 15 years may work in Alaska, however, the combined time in school and work cannot exceed 9 hours per day. They also may not work between 9 pm and 5 am. Youngsters this age may not work more than 23 hours per week, during the school term, or more than 40 hours per week during school vacation.

Workers in this age group are prohibited from working in a number of industries and areas, including manufacturing, mining, canneries, boilers, meat coolers, warehouses and transportation. They cannot operate power machinery other than office machines, or perform maintenance or repair of machines. They cannot work from windows, ladders or scaffolds, operate power food slicers or grinders or use sharpened tools. In addition, they are prohibited from loading trucks, railroad cars or conveyers.

No one under the age of 21 can sell pull-tabs, a popular form of gambling in Alaska.

Alaska state law sets few restrictions on the hours that a worker over the age of 16 may be employed. However, state law does stipulate than no one under the age of 18 may work more than 6 days in any work week.

The state also designates a number of occupations as too hazardous for workers 17 and under.

Most youths in Alaska are also subject to the federal child labor laws under the FLSA, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. In some cases, the federal requirements are more stringent than state law.