New labour laws would restrict teens from 'hazardous' work

The NDP government introduced a sweeping review of provincial workplace rules this week, but it's still unclear how the proposed legislation will affect 350,000 youth workers in Alberta.

Youth aged 15 to 24 compriseabout 14 per cent of the province's labour force, working in sectors from agricultureto retailto construction. The Fair and Family-Friendly Workplaces Act will affectwhich jobs those workerscan do.

• Alberta proposes first overhaul of workplace rules in decades

But first, the government needs to define "light work" and "hazardous work."

Under the proposed laws, youth under 12 can't work at all (unless in artistic endeavours), while those 13 to 15 can do "light work," and those 16 to 17 can take on "hazardous" jobs with the right permits.

Light workmight involve tasks such as setting tables or retail work.

Restaurant industry employs 63,000 Alberta youth

The restaurant industry is the largest youth employer in Alberta, but very few of those workers are under the age of 16, said Mark von Schellwitz, vice-president of Western Canada for the industry group,Restaurants Canada.

"It really impacts only a small percentage of our members," said von Schellwitzabout the legislationwhich would raise the minimum working age from 12 to 13.

"The big, quick-service restaurants, most of them don't start hiring young people before the age of 16."

Von Schellwitz said the restaurant industry employs almost 63,000 youth under the age of 25 in Alberta.

"We provide an important role for them:that first job experience, to get them out of that 'no experience, no job' scenario."

The last time the provincial government decided to tweak its rules governing youth labour was in 2005.

It resulted in front-page headlines questioning the then-PC government's decision to allow children as young as 12 to work in restaurants without a previously required special permit.

The 2005 government standard also prohibited those tweens from working with deep fryers, grillsor slicers, and required them to always be in the presence of an adult.

Youth role in agriculture is 'so important'

Kent Erickson, who sits as co-chair of the AgCoalition, which represents 30 farm producers, said the farm industry is still trying to digest what the 200-page legislation could mean for Alberta farms.

"The concern is the details ... what is 'light work' defined as? Is it picking vegetables? Moving rocks?"

Teenagers remain an important part of farm operations in the province, he said.

"The youth component in the rural economy is so importantto get them engaged, to get them understanding our food production. They might be doing light work or small tasks but they're really learning how our food is produced, which is really important."

Matt Dykstra, spokesperson for Labour Minister Christina Gray, said consultation on lightand hazardouswork will take place over the coming months. The ministry wants to update whichjobs are listedin those categories every three years.