YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
New Youth Employment Requirements
As many of you know , there is currently a labor shortage following the COVID-19 pandemic . This has affected every industry , and our insureds are each managing it in their own way . One of the common actions we ’ ve seen our clients take is to hire a more youthful workforce between the ages of 12 and 18 . As a result , we ’ ve been receiving a lot of questions around a cutoff age for coverage . In other words , is there an age limit on workers ’ compensation coverage for these workers ?
The short answer to this question is no . There is no age restriction for workers ’ compensation as long as the employee meets the documentation and permit requirements under the policy . To meet these requirements previously in Indiana , all employees between the ages of 12 and 18 must have had registered a work permit . Because a work permit is not typically required for employees over the age of 18 , many employers were unaware they had to follow this step for hires under the age of 18 . Unfortunately , this is the number one reason workers ’ compensation claims for youth employees are denied .
Effective July 1 , 2021 , however , the youth work permit system in Indiana has been replaced with a new process called the Youth Employment System . You can access the Youth Employment System ( YES ) online at https :// er . dol . in . gov . Under the new system , you only need to register youth employees if you employ five or more workers under the age of 18 . If this is not the case for you , then your youth employees may be treated with the same procedure as your adult employees .
If you are in a state or county that still utilizes a work permit system , you can look to your local school district and county governing body for assistance . Typically , work permits are obtained from the accredited high school in the district where the youth resides . Note that in order to obtain a work permit , the youth worker may need to be enrolled in school and hold the appropriate visa if they are not a permanent US resident . You can expect to pay between $ 400 and $ 500 for the permit .
Perhaps you are a parent with children on site doing odd jobs for money . Perhaps you have formally hired several youths in your neighborhood . If there is an injury of some sort to a worker under the age of 18 and you have registered your workers in the Youth Employment System , or you have a work permit registered for the affected employee where applicable , then you can rest assured that the injury will be covered under your workers ’ compensation policy .
If you have questions about how to register your five or more employees between the ages of 12 and 18 or need to file a workers ’ compensation claim , I invite you to contact me directly at 219-809-2104 or krosenbaum @ genins . com for more information . +
Kyle Rosenbaum was born and raised in La Porte . He attended Manchester University where he received a B . A . in Accounting . Upon joining GIS in 2013 , he became the second generation of the Rosenbaum family to be involved in the agency . In his spare time , Kyle enjoys golfing , hunting , and fishing .
BY : KYLE ROSENBAUM BUSINESS RISK ADVISOR , GENERAL INSURANCE SERVICES
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