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Ohio employers need all the help they can get, as shortages in many industries are affecting their ability to serve their customers. Employers are looking to all those legally in this country; those of all ages; and those whose education and experience do not match the job description, but who are trainable and willing to work.
Now lawmakers have a chance to give them a little extra help in the form of extended legal work hours for teens younger than 16. According to a report by News 5 Cleveland, state Senate Bill 30 would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work until 9 p.m. year-round with permission from a parent or legal guardian. This would be a change from the current 7 p.m. State Sen. Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster, is right that such a move could help employers fill gaps.
There is, of course, objection from academia to giving parents the option to allow their children to work two extra hours per day.
"We don't need to give parents choices in some areas if we are able to determine that that choice is a really bad choice," Case Western Reserve University professor Sharona Hoffman told News 5.
You read that right.
The reality is that such a change may mean nothing more than teens doing their homework before they go work a few hours, rather than after.
But without parental permission, nothing changes.