Minimum Wage for minors is $7.25 per hour. Employers may pay an “Opportunity Wage” of $5.90 per hour for the first 90 days of employment. On the 91st day, the wage must increase to $7.25 per hour
So yeah, for 90 days they can get away with paying less than minimum wage. For tipped jobs, the minimum wage is $2.33, and the “opportunity” tipped minimum wage is 2.13.
That 90 days isn’t just random either. It happens to be the length of summer vacation for most kids here in the US. Perfect for exploiting them on their summer break!
Gonna go to camp this summer little Johnny and Jane? Fuck no you’re not, off to the factory with you, and here’s your six dollars (that’s like a dollar an hour!).
I’ve never heard of this before, but I looked it up and it’s sort of true in Wisconsin:
From https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/er/laborstandards/workpermit/minoremployment.htm:
So yeah, for 90 days they can get away with paying less than minimum wage. For tipped jobs, the minimum wage is $2.33, and the “opportunity” tipped minimum wage is 2.13.
Everything about this is back-asswards.
That 90 days isn’t just random either. It happens to be the length of summer vacation for most kids here in the US. Perfect for exploiting them on their summer break!
Gonna go to camp this summer little Johnny and Jane? Fuck no you’re not, off to the factory with you, and here’s your six dollars (that’s like a dollar an hour!).
90 days, 3 months, of summer break? That is as long as the whole summer. That has to be wrong.