What should you do if your teen has a problem at work?

First encourage your teen to talk to his or her supervisor about the problem. It is a good idea for your teen to keep a written record of the following details: what was discussed, with whom he or she spoke, and the date the meeting took place. To prepare your teen for talking with his or her supervisor, it may be helpful for you both to review the rights and regulations that apply to teen workers.

• Work hours, breaks, wages, or prohibited duties
• Unsafe working conditions
• Getting hurt on the job
• Discrimination or sexual harassment

Work hours, breaks, wages, or prohibited duties
For more information about work hours, breaks, wages or prohibited duties for young workers in Washington State go to:
http://www.lni.wa.gov/WorkplaceRights/TeenWorkers/

For advice or to report a problem contact the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) Employment Standards Division at 1-800-423-7233. You can also send an e mail to teensafety@lni.wa.gov.

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Unsafe working conditions
For advice or to report a safety problem contact the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) at 1-800-423-7233. You can also send an e-mail to teensafety@lni.wa.gov.

Getting hurt on the job
If your teen gets hurt on the job it is important to inform his or her supervisor as soon as possible. The supervisor should provide an accident report form (also called an Injury Claim report) that your teen will need to fill out and turn in. Make sure your teen writes down when and where the accident happened so you don't forget this important information that will be needed for the report.

Filling out an injury claim report protects your teen by recording that the injury was work-related. Washington State has a program in place to protect workers if they get hurt from a work-related injury or illness.

If your teen is unable to work because of a work-related injury or illness, he or she may be paid a percentage of their regular wage. This program may also pay for other costs related to the injury such as doctor and hospital bills related to the treating the injury.

If the supervisor does not provide your teen with an accident report form, call the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) at 1-800-423-7233 and they will send you the form. You can also send an e-mail to teensafety@lni.wa.gov.

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Discrimination or Sexual Harassment
The laws that deal with discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace are enforced by a federal agency called the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

To learn more about sexual harassment and how it can affect your teen go the EEOC web site: http://youth.eeoc.gov.

If you have additional questions or concerns about sexual harassment on the job or job discrimination, you can contact the following offices:

Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Federal Office Building
909 First Avenue
Suite 400
Seattle, WA 98104-1061
Phone: 206-220-6883 or 1-800-669-4000
TTY: 206-220-6882 or 1-800-669-6820
Website: http://www.eeoc.gov/

Washington State Human Rights Commission
711 South Capitol Way, Suite 402
P.O. Box 42490
Olympia, WA 98504-2490
Phone: 360-753-6770
Fax: 360-586-2282
TTY: 800-300-7525
Website: http://www.hum.wa.gov