Question

Gary is a junior at Southpark High School. He is 17 years old. The school needs some help in its warehouse during the summer, and Gary needs a job so he can save money for college. His boss is the facilities manager. Gary is assigned to work 9 hours every day during the week because one of the other employees is on disability leave. And because the other employee was the forklift driver, Gary has been given training in how to drive that equipment around the warehouse and loading dock. He likes that duty because he has been driving a car for only a few months. The forklift is cool. Is there any difficulty with the facilities manager's requirements of Gary?

A. Everything the facilities manager has required Gary to do is permissible under federal laws.
B. Since there is no restriction to the number of hours Gary can 120
work, everything should be okay.
C. Whatever the facilities manager wants Gary to do is okay because it's only a summer job.
D. Even though Gary can work unlimited hours, he cannot be assigned to drive the forklift.

Answer 1

Gary, a 17-year-old student, cannot be assigned to drive a forklift at his job due to child labor laws even though he can work unlimited hours during the summer, as operating a forklift is considered hazardous work for minors.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks whether the facilities manager's requirements for Gary, a 17-year-old high school student, are permissible under federal laws, particularly regarding his assignment to drive a forklift. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), there are specific child labor laws that address the employment of minors under the age of 18. While during non-school periods, 16- and 17-year-olds may work unlimited hours in non-hazardous jobs, operating a forklift is generally considered hazardous work for minors according to the FLSA. Therefore, even if Gary can work unlimited hours during the summer, it would be prohibited for him to operate a forklift until he is 18 years old.

Given this information, the correct answer is D: Even though Gary can work unlimited hours, he cannot be assigned to drive the forklift. Employers must adhere to particular regulations when it comes to assigning tasks to minor employees, and operating a forklift is not within the scope of permissible duties for a 17-year-old at a workplace.