040
Chapter 5
Beyond Allowance
In This Chapter
✧ Knowing when it’s time to get a job
✧ Finding a job that’s age appropriate
✧ Understanding wages and taxes
✧ Fitting work into your schedule
✧ Using a job for more than a paycheck
✧ Getting creative when it comes to jobs
 
 
For many teens, there comes a time when allowance just doesn’t cut it anymore. The $10 or $15 you get every week doesn’t begin to cover your expenses and you’re sick and tired of always going to your folks to ask for money. This stage arrives at different times for different people, but you’ll know it when you get there. You’ll feel more and more uncomfortable asking for money every time you want to go someplace or buy something. You’ll strongly wish that you were more financially independent and you’ll spend significant amounts of time trying to figure out how to achieve that independence.
For most teens who arrive at this point, the answer is to get a job. Some of you will be excited by the thought of working; others will consider the prospect to be a major bore. If you’re in the latter category, read on. Once you consider all the possibilities for different kinds of jobs, you might stop thinking of work as boring and start looking at it as a good opportunity. Remember that not all jobs involve stocking shelves or flipping burgers; with the right attitude, even those that do can be starting points toward something bigger and better.

Is It Time to Look for a Job?

So, how do you know when it’s time to look for a job? The following are a few signs that it’s time to start filling out applications:
✧ You never have enough money to do what you want to do or buy what you want to buy.
✧ You feel as if you’re constantly asking for money.
✧ You’ve got time on your hands and frequently feel bored.
✧ You’re looking for a new experience.
✧ You think it would be fun to meet some new people.
✧ You’ve decided to start saving money toward a particular goal such as buying a car.
If some of these statements apply to you, you might want to think about job hunting.

Different Jobs at Different Ages

Federal and state laws limit the age at which teenagers can begin working at particular jobs. For instance, you might be able to work at Dairy Queen when you’re 14 or 15 but have to wait until you’re 16 or 17 to get a job in a manufacturing facility. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) there are certain jobs that are prohibited for all youth under the age of 18. They are …
✧ Any type of mining
✧ Manufacturing or storing explosives
✧ Logging and saw milling
✧ Operating power-driven hoisting equipment
✧ Driving a motor vehicle or being a helper on a motor vehicle
✧ Any job with exposure to radioactive substances
✧ Operating power-driven woodworking machines
✧ Operating power-driving metal forming, shearing, or punching machines
✧ Slaughtering, meat packing, or meat processing
✧ Operating power-driven bakery machines
✧ Operating power-driven paper products machines
✧ Manufacturing brick, tile, and related products
✧ Excavating
✧ Roofing
✧ Wrecking or demolition
✧ Operating power-driven circular saws, band saws, and guillotine shears
Many states also restrict the age at which employees are allowed to serve alcoholic beverages, so if you’re looking for a job as a server in a restaurant that has liquor, you might have to rethink your plans.
The FLSA also regulates the specific times and number of hours that teenagers can work. States might have additional restrictions, which will vary from state to state. Most employers are familiar with the laws of their respective states. If you have questions you can check with the U.S. Department of Labor. Check your phone directory for regional numbers.
041
Scary Stuff
Beware of employers who don’t comply with federal or state laws concerning work hours and conditions for teenagers. If you think you might be working for someone like this, you can contact the U.S. Department of Labor.

Minimum Wage and Salary Scales

The federal minimum wage currently is $5.15 per hour, with legislation pending to raise the hourly rate to $6.15 over two or three years. Just because the federal rate is $5.15, however, doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll start out earning that amount. The federal rate serves as a guideline, which most states have adopted. Some states, however, set minimum wage rates that are higher than the federal rate; others set lower rates. Seven states: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Lousiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee have no laws concerning minimum wage..
042
Imagine That
The first minimum wage of 25¢ per hour was passed in 1938, mostly affecting jobs in manufacturing, mining, and transportation. Unskilled retail and service workers weren’t covered by the law.
To find out your state’s minimum wage, go to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Web site at www.dol.gov/dol/esa/public/minwage/america.htm.
043
Imagine That
Fifty-nine percent of all American minimum wage workers are women. Fifteen percent are African American, and 17 percent are Hispanic. More than 10 percent of the entire American workforce lives on minimum wage.
Minimum wage has long been a source of controversy in this country. Some people think it’s unfair and that employers should be able to set the wages they’ll pay employees. Others feel that minimum wage increases cause workers to lose jobs. Many people support a minimum wage, saying that all workers should be paid enough to make a decent living. Although nearly 12 million workers live on minimum wage, don’t assume that it’s easy to do so, especially with dependents.
If you get a job at a fast-food place or as a dishwasher in a restaurant, chances are you’ll be offered minimum wage. Keep in mind, though, that today’s healthy economy and low unemployment rate has prompted many places to increase their starting wages to attract employees from the small pool of available workers.
Before you start a job, be sure to find out from your prospective employer about salary scales. You’ll want to find out how and when raises are given. Are they based on job performance or do all employees get raises after they’ve been on the job for a particular amount of time? Do all employees get the same raises? Can you count on raises at regular intervals?
Don’t hesitate to find out what your opportunities are before you agree to take the job. You’re perfectly within your rights to ask all the questions you want as long as you do so politely and respectfully.

Those Pesky Things Called Taxes

I’ve yet to meet a person who likes paying taxes. Unfortunately, they become a part of life as soon as you start making money—and they never go away after that. As you get older and make more money, you’ll need to think about things such as deductions and tax shelters.
044
Money Matters
If you have a job from which you earn a substantial income, ask a parent or friend with some financial knowledge about the possibility of getting your own Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Starting an IRA when you’re a teenager could make your life a lot more pleasant when retirement rolls around.
For now, however, there probably are only a few tax-related matters that you need to know about. If you earn less than $4,400 in a year, you don’t have to pay federal income tax. That’s the good news. If you earn that much or more (up to $23,350), you’ll have to hand over 15 percent to good old Uncle Sam. If you earn more than $23,350, you’ll pay 28 percent on everything over that amount.
The bad news is that in some states you’ll have to pay state income tax, regardless of how much money you make; and Social Security and Medicare taxes will be deducted from your paycheck. It’s a bummer, but you might as well get used to it.

Not All Jobs Are Created Equal

When you think about getting a job, you probably have at least an idea of the kind of work you want to do. Maybe you’d like to work in that cool clothing store in the mall or be a checkout person at the grocery store. If you enjoy working with food, you might think about a job at your local farmer’s market or deli. Maybe you think you’d enjoy a telephone sales position or working in a jewelry store. There are many places that hire part-time workers, so there are lots of different opportunities. Keep in mind, however, that not all jobs are created equal.
045
Scary Stuff
The National Consumers League estimates that every year in the United States an estimated 200,000 youth are injured while working, and 100 are killed.
You read a bit earlier in this chapter that there are certain jobs in which minors aren’t permitted to work. The National Consumers League (NCL), a Washington, D.C.-based consumers group, took that list a step further and named the five worst jobs for teenagers. They are …
✧ Delivery and other driving, including operating or riding on forklifts and other motorized equipment
✧ Working alone in cash-based businesses such as fast-food places, convenience stores, and gas stations
✧ Construction, including work in heights and contact with electrical power
✧ Traveling youth crews such as those that sell candy, magazine subscriptions, books, and so forth in strange neighborhoods or different cities and states
✧ Jobs in which employers pay “under the table”
These jobs, the NCL says, have proven time and time again to be dangerous. Even if the job you get is safe and everything about it above board, you may or may not be crazy about it.

Physical Labor

If you’re in reasonably good shape and you don’t mind giving your muscles a workout, a job requiring physical labor might be a good choice for you. These jobs often involve working outdoors, which appeals to lots of people. You could end up mowing grass at your community swimming pool, where you could chat with friends and cool off during your breaks. Of course, you also could end up in a warehouse someplace, lifting heavy boxes and counting widgets. As I said, not all jobs are created equal.
046
Money Matters
It’s a good idea to talk to people already working in the job that interests you before you decide to take it. You might find out it’s a great job—or find out it’s not for you.

Using Your Head

If physical work isn’t your thing, you’ll do better with a different kind of job. If you like working with people, sales might be a good possibility to explore. If you have trouble tearing yourself away from your computer, check the classifieds for jobs that involve inputting information or other computer-related tasks.

Take This Job and Shove It!

If you find yourself working in the job from hell, seriously evaluate the situation. If it’s boring, try to think of ways to make it more interesting. Be creative. Ask your boss if there are other jobs you could do. If you feel in any way threatened or unsafe in the job, get out of it immediately.
As long as a job doesn’t present a risk, you should try to stick with it if you can. It doesn’t look good to other prospective employers if you’ve had three jobs in the past four months.

Juggling a Job and the Rest of Your Life

If you’re like many teenagers today, you’re incredibly busy. You’re in sports. You have to spend a couple of hours a night doing homework. You have family commitments, and there’s never enough time to be with your friends. You play in the marching band and spend every Saturday night from September through November at competitions. You have activities at your church or synagogue. You help your parents take care of your little brother and sister. You visit your grandmother. You try to find time to go snowboarding. You love to read, or ski, or ride your mountain bike.
So, how are you supposed to fit in a job with all the rest of your activities? Good question. Fortunately, teenagers generally have high energy levels (except for in the mornings), and can withstand huge amounts of activity. If you do get a job, you’ll have to learn to prioritize. That means doing what absolutely has to be done first, and leaving optional activities for later. Working also will require better organizational and time management skills.
If you decide to get a job, you should make up your mind that you’ll be committed to it. It needs to be a priority. You’ll need to keep track of the hours you’re scheduled to be at work and make sure you have a way to get there and back. By agreeing to work, you’re obligating yourself to your employer, just as he or she is obligated to pay you for your services. Before you start filing applications, talk with your parents or guardians about the responsibilities of working and how it will affect not only your life, but your family’s life as well.
047
Imagine That
A study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor revealed that one-third of American teenagers say they feel stressed out on a daily basis. Researchers say it’s because teens are increasingly pulled in so many directions, and expectations of them keep getting higher and higher.

There’s More to a Job Than the Money You Earn

Most teenagers who get a job do so to make money. Many give little thought past their next paycheck. Every job, however, can be a valuable learning experience (if you choose to learn from it) and you might end up taking more from a job than you ever imagined.

Experience

Every job offers some kind of experience. For instance, if you work at your uncle’s restaurant, and you pay attention and ask questions, you might learn more about food service and business than you ever thought you’d know. You could learn how your uncle knows how much of different kinds of food to order, who the suppliers are, and how they get the produce, meats, and breads that end up on the tables. If you work at the clothing store in the mall, you can learn how inventory is ordered, how it’s tracked, and where the clothing you sell is made.

Contacts

You’ve no doubt heard the old saying, “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” I don’t buy into that completely, but there’s certainly an element of truth in it. You can never know too many people who are willing to help you, and it’s important to remember that most people love to help somebody who’s been an enthusiastic, pleasant, hardworking employee.
There are many, many people involved with businesses in your community, some of whom will be able to help you later in life if they’re inclined to do so. Maybe you’ll need a letter of recommendation for another job, or a reference or two when you start applying for college. Being a great employee, or at least the very best employee you can, ensures that they’ll be willing to give you a hand when you need it.

Creative Ways of Making Money

There are as many jobs as there are people to create them. If a “traditional” teenage job such as flipping burgers, stocking shelves, or scooping ice cream doesn’t appeal to you, think of something else to do. If you need to have more flexibility with your time than a regular job can offer, consider a different job. There are tons of ways to make money. Get creative and go for it!
Some ideas to consider include cooking or house cleaning, yard work, pet sitting, tutoring, or giving music lessons.
Getting your first job, whether you do something on your own or work for a company, is a big step. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from adults and other teens who already have jobs. If you’re dependable, honest, hardworking, and willing to learn, you’ll do just fine.
048
Money Matters
Remember that if you earn more than $4,400 in a year, even if you’re on your own, you need to file a tax return for federal income tax.
 
 
The Least You Need to Know
✧ When allowance is no longer enough, it might be time to consider getting a job.
✧ The Fair Labor Standards Act prohibits anyone under 18 years old from working in certain types of jobs.
✧ Minimum wage is established by the federal government, but can vary from state to state, depending on state law.
✧ You’ll need to pay federal income tax if you earn more than $4,400 a year.
✧ Different people prefer one job to another, depending on their abilities and likes and dislikes.
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