In late spring of 2008, the Attorney General's Office launched a high school outreach campaign to educate teenagers of their rights in the workplace. The campaign was designed to coincide with the close of the 2007-2008 school year and the beginning of the summer jobs season. The AGO targeted those high school students applying for a work permit from their local school district or guidance office, as well as those utilizing their local Workforce Development Board Career Center.

LaborLowDown.com

In July 2007, the AGO launched a "splash" page, www.LaborLowDown.com, as part of an educational campaign for teenagers. The splash page, or "micro site," was created to directly target teenagers and present them with a specific set of facts within the area of youth employment rights, including minimum wage, hazardous jobs, supervision, and hour restrictions. Each page within the site provides an overview of the laws in these specific areas, and links for more information on the Attorney General's Office website.

Posters for Teens

The centerpiece of the 2008 campaign is a series of posters, with the theme, "Do You Work?" The poster, available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, targets teens and presents them with basic information on the minimum wage and obtaining a work permit, as well as hour restrictions, guidelines around supervision and safety restrictions for working teens. Copies of the posters in all languages were sent to every Superintendent in every school district across the Commonwealth. To view and download the "Do You Work?" poster:

Reaching Out to Parents

As part of this outreach, the AGO also provided every Superintendent with a sample letter to parents, explaining some basic youth employment laws and encouraging parents/guardians to familiarize themselves with the most current child labor laws. The letter, co-signed by Attorney General Martha Coakley, was also accompanied by a Youth Employment Laws Fact Sheet, outlining these laws and highlighting the Attorney General's youth employment Web resources. To download and view these materials: