Helping your students with problems at work

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

First encourage your student to talk to his or her supervisor about the problem. It is a good idea for your student to keep a written record of the following details: what was discussed, with whom he or she spoke, and the date teh meeting took place. To prepare your student 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. It is also important to encourage the student to talk to his or her parent or guardian about the problem.

Click below for information on how to get help on specific workplace problems:

• 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.

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

Filling out an injury claim report protects your student 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 student 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 your injury such as doctor and hospital bills related to the treating the injury.

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

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 you, go the EEOC web site: http://youth.eeoc.gov.

If you have additional questions or concerns about workplace sexual harassment 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

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