How old do I have to be to get a summer job at like Bath and Body Works? Claires? How old?

Question

How old do I have to be to get a summer job at like Bath and Body Works? Claires? How old?

Answer 1

It depends on where you live. Different states have different rules.

Answer 2

It's hard for young teens to get a job - for two main reasons.

One is that the employers have generally found that younger teens are less responsible and reliable. Younger teens are more likely to quit jobs without warning, they're more likely to miss work, and they're less able to follow instructions and work quickly. It's unfortunate that some irresponsible young teens have spoiled it for more reliable young workers, but that's a very difficult bias for you to overcome.

The other reason has to do with government laws that really restrict the work that young teens can do.

If you are 14 or 15, you are not allowed to work past 7pm at night, even on weekends. (except from June 1 to Labor Day, when you can work until 9pm).

You are not allowed to work more than 3 hours on a school night.

You are not allowed to work more than 18 hours in a single week.

You are not allowed to work more than 8 hours on a weekend.

Once you turn 16, you can work any number of hours on any day of the week. Employers have a hard time working around the restrictions that apply to teens younger than 16, that's why most companies will require you to be at least 16 to work there.

Even so - every company has its own policies. Workers who will be handling money often have to be "bonded", and the bond companies may not allow employers to bond people younger than a certain age. You'd be more likely to find a job that didn't involve cashiering - like, say, working as a restaurant busperson, or a shelf stocker or a pet walker than you would as a customer service assistant in a retail store.

Good luck!

Answer 3

probably 16