CDC Teen Workers

A comprehensive guide for youth in the workplace explaining workers rights as well employer responsibilities and common hazards.

So You’re a Teen Worker?

You’re earning your own money. You’re making new friends. You’re learning new things and becoming independent. Work can be a fun, rewarding, and an exciting part of your life. But did you know that your job could harm you?

Every 9 minutes, a U.S. teen gets hurt on the job. These teens are young people like Emily, who was working alone at a sandwich shop when a robber with a gun attacked her. And they’re like Joe, a construction helper who was electrocuted on his job.

It doesn’t have to be this way. You have a right to be safe and healthy at work.

Young workers get sick or hurt on the job for many reasons—dangerous equipment, an unsafe workplace, stress. Sometimes they’re hurt from working too fast so they can keep up. As a young worker, you’re more likely than an…