Tennessee has child labor laws that aim to regulate the involvement of teenage children in employment. The law allows children to start working at 14 with a limit of three hours a day and a maximum of eighteen hours a week. During the school year, children are prohibited from working past 7 p.m. 

However, these regulations are relaxed during summer holidays to allow children to work eight hours per day and no more than forty hours a week. Additionally, they are allowed to work up to 9 p.m. during the summer.

However, Tennessee child labor laws do not restrict the number of working hours for teens aged 16 and 17, though the law does not allow them to work during school hours. 

On school nights, they are not allowed to work past 10 p.m. Parents or guardians of teens who wish to work past 10 p.m. can sign a consent form allowing them to work no later than midnight for three nights a week.

Violations of the Tennessee child labor law by employers can result in civil or criminal penalties depending on the violation they commit. For example, employing anyone under 14 is a class D offense. It can be punishable by up to 12 years and a fine of $5,000 for individual employers or $125,000 for a company.

It is evident that work restrictions for teenagers aged 16 and 17 mainly safeguard class sessions. Hourly restrictions beyond school hours are minimal, giving the teens a leeway to work for more hours in a week. Yet, the Tennessee child labor law’s fundamental purpose is to prevent employment workload from interfering with school work. 

Some teens aged 16 and 17 may be able to balance employment and school work. Some young adults need to work to help their families. Families who require teens to work typically are simply trying to put food on the table.

Teens are sometimes employed while enrolled in school to get more spending money. Though working can be important, most consider school work and education equally important. To afford basic needs like school clothes, cell phones, or miscellaneous extracurricular purchases, teens can take some of the financial burdens off their families by earning money. 

With these arguments in mind, should Tennessee continue to impose hour restrictions for 16 and 17-year-old working teenagers?