Michigan House proposal would put young workers at risk

Last week, the Michigan League for Public Policy shared deep concerns about a bill that would put young workers in our state at risk by eliminating Michigan’s youth work permit system.

House Bill (HB) 5727 seeks to roll back a state system set to be implemented this year by the  Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) that will ensure employers know the law, protect children from exploitative work and aid in enforcement when violations of the state’s Youth Employment Standards Act (YESA) occur.

HB 5727 seeks to replace this system with a weaker age verification system that would essentially be up to employers to implement and would do next to nothing to ensure child workers are protected beyond ensuring they are of age to work.

Research has shown states with work permit requirements see 17% fewer child labor violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and 43% fewer children involved in those violations. Michigan is one of 35 states in the U.S. that already have work permit systems; however, HB 5727 would stop this much-needed system from being implemented, thus removing important protections for child workers.

It would also be a disservice to employers who want to follow the law as centralized work permit systems allow states to more proactively inform employers of rules they need to follow when hiring workers under the age of 18.

The bill would also eliminate LEO’s ability to revoke a work permit if a child is not in good standing in school due to a job. This would hamstring a school’s capacity to deal with issues like chronic absenteeism, failing grades and disciplinary issues. The proposal comes at a time when Michigan, once again, ranks nationally in the bottom 10 states in education at 42nd according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book, which was released just this past Monday.

The latest national KIDS COUNT data also shows that 17% of Michigan high school students did not graduate on time in 2024, which is an improvement over 2019 but remains worse than the national average. Students who do not graduate on time are less likely to continue on to postsecondary education and training, which can inhibit their future success in the job market, including their earning capacity.

And it’s not just academic performance that suffers when child labor is not well regulated. Excessive and late-night work hours, for example, can put youth mental and physical health at risk as it often leads to reduced sleep and increased odds for workplace injuries. Teens need more sleep than adults — eight to 10 hours a night on average — but on the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey over 80% of high school students in Michigan reported getting fewer than eight hours a night.

Giving LEO oversight of the state’s work permit system protects children from exploitative child labor that can harm their physical and mental wellbeing.

HB 5727 is also coming at a time when the U.S. is facing a national child labor crisis, with child labor violations and attacks on state child labor laws on the rise. During fiscal year 2024-2025, the number of federal child labor violations uncovered were the highest they have been since the Great Recession. Meanwhile, according to the Economic Policy Institute, at least 13 states — including Michigan — have introduced bills weakening child labor protections so far this year and four states have enacted them.

Eliminating Michigan’s work permit system at a time when child labor violations are on the rise defies common sense and undermines the commitment of employers who do seek to follow the law when giving young people opportunities for work experience.

Michigan children and families deserve better. They deserve reasoned, strong policies that both support good jobs and protect quality education. We at the League supported the legislation that was passed by the Michigan Legislature back in 2024 to centralize the state’s youth work permit system within LEO. It is our hope that its implementation this fall will provide better protections for our state’s youth.