STUDY FINDS TOO MUCH TIME ON JOB BAD FOR TEEN-AGERS

Too much time on the job can lead to a teen-ager's academic failure and cause a number of social problems, including rips in family ties and substance abuse, according to a recent national study.

The study, conducted by the National Academy of Science's National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine, said working less than 20 hours a week can be beneficial for students because it promotes responsibility and discipline and provides pocket money and role models.

However, working more generally weakens teenagers' academic and overall development.

"There's definitely some good research there that indicates once kids hit 20 hours everything skyrockets downward," said Colleen Baker, director of the Missouri Division of Labor Standards. The division enforces labor laws that prevent teens from working certain hazardous jobs or clearly excessive hours.

Baker said teachers are generally the first to notice when students are working too much. Late arrival or excessive absences from school, failure to complete homework assignments and lower grades all are indicators a student needs to reduce his work schedule.

"We get calls from teachers all the time about kids falling asleep in class and what they can do about it," Baker said. "Most of the time, by the time you add up their school day, after school activities, work and homework, they're working 12-14 hour days and not getting enough sleep."

Why they work

Teen-agers typically seek jobs so they can earn spending money for their personal expenses. Several studies have found that up to 30 percent of teen-age workers contribute to family expenses, but most spend their earnings for cars, clothes, cosmetics and other nonessential purchases.

Central High School junior Grant Adams, 17, is typical of most working teens. A produce clerk at Food Giant, he started work last year so he could have spending money and start saving to buy a car. He usually works around 20 hours weekly, although he occasionally is scheduled for up to 40 hours a week.

Adams said he tries to accommodate his work schedule by completing homework at school. But he admitted his grades probably would be higher if he didn't work.

"Sometimes I stay at work late, and I don't have time to do my homework," Adams said. "Thankfully, I can get by most of the time and do well on the test, and that makes up for me not turning in my homework."

By law, 16- and 17-year olds can work an unlimited number of hours, although there are restrictions on the type of work they can do.

Federal law prohibits 14- and 15-year-olds from working more than three hours or past 7 p.m. on school days and prohibits 12- and 13-year-olds from working most jobs.

Missouri child labor laws are similar to the federal regulations, but children ages 14 and 15 must apply to their public school district superintendent for a work certificate before they can work. That application requires both parental consent and approval from the superintendent's office.

About 6,500 work certificates were issued statewide last year. Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center director Harold Tilley was appointed to handle work certificates for the Cape Girardeau School District. In addition to other requirements, Tilley said students must have no grades in core subjects below a C to be approved.

Since August, Tilley has approved 13 work certificates.

Tilley said working more than the state regulations allow can be detrimental to any student.

"It's a matter of really getting carried away," said Tilley. "We think, if a student wants to work in high school, they would be more successful if they went through one of our structured programs, because we monitor those very closely."

The career center offers three supervised work education programs. Teachers regularly visit the job sites to ensure students are working in healthy and safe environments.

Educating employers

Baker said labor officials use a combination of outreach and enforcement to educate employers about their responsibilities under the law.

Violations of Missouri child labor laws are class C misdemeanors. Each day of violation is considered a separate violation punishable by fines of up to $1,000. Penalties for persons who violate the federal law include fines up to $10,000.

The most common violation is assigning students too many hours. Department officials also discover many children who are employed without work certificates during visits to work sites.

"We really would much prefer to get the information out than to actually deal with a violation issue," Baker said.

Several business owners said the easiest way to comply with child labor laws is to work youth only during weekends and minimally during the week. Many said they often emphasize the importance of school to students.

"Most of them are not going to want to work in a sandwich shop forever, and I tell them their grades always come first," said Ed Thompson, owner of Jimmy John's restaurant. His daughter, Lauren, a 14-year old student at Central Junior High School, is the youngest employee working at the restaurant.

Shirley Merryman, manager of the Fun Factory, said teen-agers make good attendants for the carnival rides, birthday parties and other attractions in the recreation center. She often adjusts the work schedule to allow employees to participate in school activities.

"They've got to do their thing in school, and I work around that," Merryman said. "Sometimes it kind of gets difficult, but they're good about giving me plenty of time to fix it."

The Academy of Sciences study cautioned parents to watch for indicators any of their teens are working too many hours.

When necessary, parents should speak with the student and possibly the employer to ensure the work schedule does not overshadow other aspects of the teen-ager's life.

Willetta Brookins, the mother of 17-year old twins, said she often monitors her teens' schedules to prevent them from being overwhelmed.

"Sometimes they need an adult to step in and say 'Let's look at your schedule and rearrange it so that you're not so frustrated,'" Brookins said. "They like to think they're in charge, but they still haven't learned how to balance everything so that they're not getting frustrated, tired and sick."