A teen work file needs 6 fields, each tied to the rule that puts it there. The six fields are waiver in writing, permit application date, agreement signatures, FLSA coverage, farm work flag, and age and end time.
Key takeaways: fields that carry a rule source
- keep any Missouri director waiver in writing, according to Revisor of Statutes, State of Missouri, and name the employment it covers beside it.
- date the North Carolina work permit application after a firm job offer, according to North Carolina Department of Labor, and keep both dates together.
- collect signatures from the youth, parent or guardian, employer, and a high school principal (public schools only) on the North Carolina agreement for detrimental work, according to North Carolina Department of Labor, and file them together.
- note FLSA coverage, according to Revisor of Statutes, State of Missouri, before you rely on a regional fair exception that does not reach covered employers.
- mark farm work for a Wisconsin teen under DWD 270.15, according to Wisconsin State Legislature, and confirm that rule before the assignment starts.
Reference table: file fields by publisher
The table below gives one quoted rule from each publisher named in this article, with the file field it fills.
| Publisher | File field | Quoted wording |
|---|---|---|
| Revisor of Statutes, State of Missouri | Director waiver in writing | Such waiver shall be provided in writing to the employer by the director. |
| North Carolina Department of Labor | Agreement signatures | must be signed by the youth, parent or guardian, employer, and principal |
| Wisconsin State Legislature | Farm work flag | DWD 270.15 Employment of minors in farming. |
| Oregon State Legislature | Age and end time | 16 years of age may be employed until 9 p.m. |
Permit and agreement fields, one by one
Work permit application date
North Carolina ties the work permit application to the job offer. The page reads "Complete the application process for a work permit after receiving a firm job offer.", according to North Carolina Department of Labor. You write the firm offer date in the file first, then the application completion date beneath it. That order keeps the sequence visible to anyone who reviews the entry later.
This timing comes from North Carolina's rule and should not be copied to a teen in another state. You find that state's own work permit rule and cite its own source before filling the line. Keep the North Carolina wording on the file page, so a later reviewer can see which rule set the date.
Agreement signatures and approval
The agreement described on the North Carolina page allows youths to work in occupations deemed detrimental by the NC Department of Labor, and it brings in youth, parents, a high school principal (public schools only), and an employer, according to North Carolina Department of Labor. You keep the signed agreement itself in the file, not a summary of it. A summary can omit a signer, while the signed paper shows each name.
The page requires that the agreement be "submitted to our office for approval prior to allowing the youth to work in any detrimental occupations.", according to North Carolina Department of Labor. You record the approval step in the file before the teen starts that work, and you write the date the agreement was submitted.
The North Carolina page also poses the question "Interested in Employing Youths in a Trade?", according to North Carolina Department of Labor. You note in the file whether a North Carolina teen's placement falls under that question, and you keep the note beside the agreement. Where the answer is no, the note still shows that the question was asked.
You check each signature line against the signed paper before the teen starts detrimental work, and you write the date each signer signed. A file that names each signer leaves less room for doubt about who approved the work. If a signature is missing, you hold the teen off the detrimental assignment until the form is complete, and you record that hold on the file.
Waiver, coverage and farm fields with sources
Director waiver in writing
The Missouri waiver text sets its scope in one sentence: "The waiver shall only exempt employment described in section 294.022.", according to Revisor of Statutes, State of Missouri. You open section 294.022 and check that the teen's job is described in it before you enter a waiver. That check keeps the waiver line tied to named employment rather than to a general permission.
You put the written waiver in the file and write beside it the employment the waiver covers, using the words of section 294.022. You also store a copy with the teen's other entries, so the waiver sits in one place when hours are reviewed.
FLSA coverage check
The Missouri text on the regional fair exception reads "The regional fair exception shall not apply to those entities covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act.", according to Revisor of Statutes, State of Missouri. You read that line before relying on a regional fair exception for any teen in Missouri. The exception is a Missouri rule, so the coverage check belongs in the Missouri section of the file.
You check whether the employer is covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act before you rely on the regional fair exception. You write the answer on the file with its date, so the coverage question stays visible to the next person who reviews the teen's hours. You also ask the employer for the coverage answer in writing and file the reply beside the waiver entry, so the reviewer sees the basis for the decision.
If the employer is covered, the exception does not apply, and the teen's entry needs a different rule source before you approve any hours. You use the Missouri waiver entry when the employment is described in section 294.022.
Farm work flag
The Wisconsin rule on farm work for minors sits at DWD 270.15, according to Wisconsin State Legislature. You mark farm work on the teen's file and write that rule number beside the mark, so the reviewer sees which rule the flag refers to. The mark tells the reviewer that farm work is involved, and the rule text decides the rest.
You treat the farm mark as a flag that needs checking, not as a finding that the work is banned. You read the full text of DWD 270.15 before deciding whether an assignment fits it, and you record the date of that reading beside the mark. A flag that sits on the file with no rule beside it gives the reviewer nothing to check.
Age and end-time fields for Oregon teens
Age and end-time field
The Oregon text reads "16 years of age may be employed until 9 p.m.", according to Oregon State Legislature. You record the teen's age and the 9 p.m. end time on the Oregon file, and you write both on the same line. You keep that line open until the teen's age is confirmed from a document, so the time is never entered on a guess.
The entry should carry the state with the age and time, so the 9 p.m. time is never read as a rule for another state. You write Oregon beside the end time, and you check the age against the teen's own paperwork before you schedule any evening shift. For wider limits, see minor job restrictions.
The same Oregon page carries the heading "Employment of children under 14 years; exceptions.", according to Oregon State Legislature. Teens 16 or older use the 16-year-old line; teens under 14 are checked against the under-14 heading and its exceptions, and you note which exception, if any, applies to the job.
The statute text also includes "12 years of age or older and are engaged in picking berries or beans.", according to Oregon State Legislature. You note in the file whether a teen's assignment is that kind of work, and you leave the line open until the assignment is checked against the text. Write the assignment in the teen's own words, so the reader can compare it with the statute wording.
Illustrative example: an Oregon end time
Take a teen who is 16 and works in Oregon. The file records age 16 and the 9 p.m. end time on one dated line, with the Oregon page beside it.
Teen work file worksheet
You use one row for each teen on the schedule. You start a new row when a teen's job changes, so each entry matches the rule for that job rather than an earlier one. You keep the columns in the same order on every teen's file, so a reviewer can compare files quickly. The example row below shows what each of the six columns holds.
| Row | Waiver in writing | Permit application date | Agreement signatures | FLSA coverage | Farm work flag | Age and end time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example | Written waiver on file | Date after firm offer | Signatures on file | Coverage checked | Farm flag checked | Age and state recorded |
A cell with no document behind it stays open until the document arrives. You leave the open cell visible on the file, so the shift lead can see which entries still need a source before hours are approved. You date each cell once its source is checked, and you record which document it came from. That keeps the worksheet a record of checks rather than a set of guesses.
You review each teen's file before approving hours for the week, and you compare the open cells against the source sections in this article. The review is a short check rather than a full audit, so you keep it to the cells on the worksheet. Work through the teens in the same order each week, so no file is skipped.
Related guides
Next step this week
The next step is to open the file for one teen on your roster and check that any director waiver is in writing and that the permit date is filled in. You choose one teen whose hours you approve this week, and you start with that file. Check the waiver line against the written waiver itself, and check the permit date against the firm offer date you recorded.
FAQ: teen work file questions
What fields does a teen work file need?
A teen work file has 6 columns, and the rule for each teen's state and job decides what goes in them. Missouri's waiver text, according to Revisor of Statutes, State of Missouri, addresses a written waiver. North Carolina's page addresses the permit date and agreement signatures, according to North Carolina Department of Labor. All six columns stay on every file, and a column with no triggered rule is marked not applicable, with a note.
Does a North Carolina work permit date come before a firm job offer?
No. The North Carolina page places the work permit application after a firm job offer, according to North Carolina Department of Labor.
Who must sign a North Carolina youth work-based agreement?
The page names the youth, parent or guardian, employer, and a high school principal (public schools only) as the signers, according to North Carolina Department of Labor. You collect those signatures before the agreement is submitted for approval, and before any detrimental work starts.
Can a Missouri director waive employment limits without writing?
No. The Missouri text requires the director to give the employer the waiver in writing, according to Revisor of Statutes, State of Missouri. Keep that written waiver in the file. Name the covered employment beside it, since the statute ties the waiver to employment described in section 294.022.
Does Oregon let a 16-year-old work until 9 p.m.?
Yes, under the Oregon text, a 16-year-old may work until 9 p.m., according to Oregon State Legislature. Record the age and the end time on the Oregon file. That rule is Oregon's, so check the rule for any other state before scheduling an evening shift there.
Does a Missouri waiver rule cover all employers?
The waiver is scoped to employment described in section 294.022, according to Revisor of Statutes, State of Missouri, and the regional fair exception does not reach FLSA-covered employers, so check the employer's coverage before relying on it. A waiver entry without that check does not show which employment it covers.