Hiring a 14- or 15-year-old employee for the summer can be a great addition to your team. To do this, the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) requires an Employment Certificate, also known as a Work Permit, for all minors who have not reached their 16th birthday.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Have the minor initiate a Youth Work Permit data sheet online. He or she will need to complete Section A, print the Work Permit Minor Confirmation Page and provide you with the Minor Security Key (MSK).
- You will need to complete the employer’s portion, Section B of the form, by going to the GDOL website and using the MSK.
- The minor will then need to contact an Issuing Officer to complete Section C using the MSK and your employer’s security key.
Issuing Officers may include:
- The Superintendent of Schools (or a designee) of the county where the minor lives
- A designated Issuing Officer of the minor’s public school
- A Principal Administrative Officer (or a designee) of a licensed private school
Homeschooled minors, minors not attending school and minors from out-of-state may take their birth certificate to one of these Issuing Officers to have their work permit issued.
After the Issuing Officer has completed Section C, they will provide a printed copy of the Youth Work Permit for the minor to bring back to you. You then need to maintain this employment certificate on the premises where the work is performed for the duration of the minor’s employment.