Child Labor Laws - Common FAQs

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This feature isn't available on my plan — how do I get access?

Scheduling compliance for teen employees is available on Plus and All-in-One plans. Upgrade to get access.

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What if the flag is wrong or doesn't apply to my situation?

Flags are warnings, not hard blocks — you can still publish the schedule even if a flag appears. If you think a flag doesn't apply, double-check that the employee's date of birth is correct. Employees can update their own date of birth from their profile, or you can edit it directly in Team Roster.

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Can Homebase prevent teen employees from being assigned to restricted roles or tasks?

Not currently. Homebase can't flag role-specific restrictions like operating a deep fryer or other prohibited equipment. It's the employer's responsibility to ensure teen employees aren't assigned to hazardous tasks. We're always looking at ways to expand our compliance capabilities.

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What happens if my state has different rules than federal law?

Homebase enforces whichever is stricter — federal or state. For example, if your state allows teens to work until 10pm but federal law sets the limit at 9pm, Homebase will flag shifts past 9pm.

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Does Homebase check compliance for actual hours worked?

Not yet — compliance checks currently apply to scheduling only. If a teen employee works beyond their scheduled hours, that won't be flagged at the time clock. We're always evaluating how to continue evolving our compliance offering.

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What rules does Homebase check against for child labor compliance?

Homebase checks your scheduled shifts against federal and state child labor laws for your work location. Rules are applied based on the employee's age and whether School Session Mode is currently turned on. For each minor on your team, the system evaluates:

Age — rules are applied based on the employee's age, and distinguish between age groups where laws differ (e.g. 14–15 vs. 16–17). Time of day — earliest permitted start times and latest permitted end times (curfews), including school-night vs. non-school-night differences. Daily hour limits — maximum hours allowed on school days and non-school days. Weekly hour limits — maximum hours allowed while school is in session and during breaks. Maximum days worked per week — where defined by your state.

Where federal and state or provincial rules differ, Homebase applies whichever is stricter.

Rules are reviewed and updated by the Homebase team. Because laws can change, we recommend verifying your state's specific requirements with your labor authority or a legal advisor.

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When does Homebase check for compliance issues?

Compliance checks run automatically as you build your schedule. Homebase checks in real time when you:

1. Create or edit a shift
2. Assign a shift to a minor
3. Adjust shift times

Any shifts with child labor violations will be flagged and detailed directly on the shift. Additionally, when you're ready to publish, you'll see a brief warning if your schedule still contains violations.

Warnings are informational, not hard blocks — you can still publish your schedule even if flags are present. That said, we recommend reviewing and resolving any warnings before your schedule goes live.

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Does this apply to hours actually worked, or just scheduled shifts?

Right now, compliance checks apply to scheduled shifts only. Homebase flags potential violations while you're building your schedule — so if a shift looks like it'll run too late or too long, you'll know before it's published.

If a minor ends up working beyond their scheduled hours, that won't be caught at the time clock. We're always working to expand our compliance capabilities.

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How does Homebase know which employees are minors?

Homebase identifies minors based on date of birth. If an employee has a date of birth on file and is between the ages of 14–17, compliance checks will apply to their shifts automatically when this feature is enabled.

If a date of birth is missing, Homebase won't be able to run compliance checks for that employee. You can add or update a date of birth directly in Team Roster, or employees can add their own from their profile in the Homebase app.

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Does this apply to employees under 14?

No. Homebase's scheduling compliance covers employees aged 14–17 only.

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What is School Session Mode and how does it work?

School Session Mode tells Homebase which rules to apply to your minor employees.

When school is in session, stricter limits apply based on your state's child labor laws, like lower daily hour caps and earlier permitted end times on school nights. When school is out, less restrictive rules apply. Homebase applies the rules for your specific state automatically.

You can find it in the Tools menu in your Schedule view. Turn it on when school is actively in session, and turn it off during summer, winter break, spring break, and other school holidays.

A few things to keep in mind:

1. It applies to all minors at your location — not individual employees
2. It doesn't sync with local school district calendars or track specific school schedules
3. It doesn't affect employee availability settings
4. You're responsible for updating it when the school year changes

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Does Homebase sync with my employees' school schedules or districts?

No. Homebase doesn't connect to school board calendars or track individual class schedules. The feature works based on School Session Mode — a setting you control — which tells Homebase whether school is currently in session or not. That's what determines which hour limits and curfew rules apply to your minor employees.

If you need to account for a specific school's schedule or holidays, you'll need to update School Session Mode manually to reflect the current period.

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Which state's laws apply if my employee lives in a different state than where they work?

Rules are based on where your business is located, not where your employee lives. If you operate in multiple states, each location follows its own state's rules automatically — so you don't need to manage it manually.

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What scheduling violations will Homebase flag?

When a shift conflicts with your state's child labor laws, you'll see a warning about the following: daily or weekly hour limits exceeded, shifts that end past the permitted curfew, shifts that start earlier than permitted, maximum days worked per week exceeded, and shifts that partially overlap with restricted hours.

Each warning shows the scheduled hours alongside the applicable legal limit so you can see exactly what triggered the flag and adjust accordingly.

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What is not covered by this feature?

This feature is designed to catch the most common, high-risk scheduling violations. It does not currently cover: minor-specific break enforcement, work permits or permit expiration, restricted roles or hazardous tasks (e.g. operating certain equipment), parental or family-member exemptions, agricultural, union/CBA or other industry-specific exemptions, supervision requirements, or actual hours worked at the time clock.

We're always working to expand our compliance capabilities. In the meantime, we recommend consulting your state's labor authority or a legal advisor for a complete picture of your obligations.

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I have employees under 18, but I'm not seeing any flags — why?

There are a few common reasons. Work through these steps to find the issue:

1. Is the feature enabled? Go to Settings → Schedule Enforcement and confirm the Child labor compliance checkbox is turned on.
2. Are dates of birth on file? Homebase can only flag violations for employees with a date of birth on file. Check Team Roster for anyone who may be missing one.
3. Is School Session Mode set correctly? You can find this in the Tools menu in your Schedule view. If it's turned off, age badges will still appear but warnings will be suppressed.
4. Do the shifts actually violate any rules? If everything above checks out, your current schedule may simply be within the legal limits for your state.

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Does using this feature mean I'm fully compliant?

Homebase is designed to surface common violations and reduce risk — but it doesn't capture every rule, exemption or edge case. Final responsibility for compliance with child labor laws remains with your business. If you have specific questions about your obligations, we recommend speaking with a legal advisor or contacting your state's Department of Labor.

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Is Homebase responsible if I am audited or fined?

No. Homebase is a guidance and alerting tool — it does not replace legal advice and does not guarantee compliance. Businesses remain responsible for understanding and complying with all applicable child labor laws.