Final answer:
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 is the federal law that sets age requirements and restricts the type of work and hours for young employees in the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
The federal law that addresses the activities that young employees are allowed to do is the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938. The FLSA set limits on potentially dangerous jobs for young workers and established that employees must be 18 years of age to engage in those jobs, with the aim of encouraging schooling. For children aged 14-16, the law specifies limited work hours and restrictions on the types of work they can perform. Despite numerous challenges, the landmark legislation came after the Keating-Owen Act of 1916, which was the first to prohibit the interstate trade of goods produced with child labor but was declared unconstitutional. The FLSA resulted from a wide range of efforts, including activism and the work of organizations such as the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC) and the U.S. Children's Bureau.