Navigating the Benefits and Challenges of Working with Minor Employees

In recent years, the number of minors employed by youth serving organizations (YSOs) is on the rise. These minors (typically ages 15-17) are most often serving in junior staff roles such as junior lifeguards or counselors-in-training (CITs), or they may serve in teen leadership positions offered for the specific purpose of fostering leadership skills, teaching responsibility, and providing work and personal growth experience. These positions not only provide valuable learning opportunities but also benefit the hiring YSO by boosting staff numbers, providing scheduling flexibility, and nurturing skill development within potential future leaders.

While this shift towards hiring minors comes with benefits, it also comes with risks, particularly around appropriate boundaries and screening. YSOs must carefully consider ensuring the safety of everyone involved—including their minor staff members. Praesidium’s analysis of 2024 Helpline cases reveals that over 10% of incidents between adults and youth involved a minor employee as the victim. And as we reported in our 2024 Praesidium Report, the risks associated with utilizing a higher percentage of minor employees are not limited to youth-serving industries. Minors are increasingly filling positions in the restaurant, retail, and other service sectors.

The Risks and Challenges of Employing Minors

Blurred Boundaries Between Adult and Minor Employees; Minor Employees and Youth:

One of the key challenges when employing minors is the potential for blurred boundaries between adult employees and minor employees. In many organizations, there can be confusion about how adult employees should interact with minor employees. This dynamic can be particularly high risk if the adult employee is close in age to the minor employee.

For example, a summer camp may employ an 18-year-old counselor and a 16-year-old CIT. Without clear policies and consistent accountability, adult employees may treat minor employees more like peers, which can create situations where verbal and physical behaviors may cross the YSOs policies for appropriate boundaries.

Similarly, organizations must recognize that minor employees may be close in age to the youth they are supervising and could even be friends with them before they arrive to the program.

Limitations on Screening Minor Employees:

Minors cannot be screened in the same way as adult employees, presenting another significant challenge for YSOs employing teens. Juvenile criminal records are often unavailable, so background checks may not provide as much information as they would for an adult. Minors are also less likely to have proven job skills and experience, so organizations may need to rely more heavily on sources such as personal references to determine whether the applicant has the requisite job skills and ability to maintain boundaries with the youth they supervise.

Impact on Staff-to-Youth Ratios:

Due to staffing shortages, many YSOs have had to adjust their staff-to-youth ratios, sometimes including minor employees in these ratios. While state labor laws may permit minors as young as 14 to be included in staffing ratios, this does not align with best practices. Organizations need to be aware of the risks that come with this practice and ensure that additional training and clear guidelines are put in place to adequately protect both the minor employee and the youth they supervise.

Sexual Abuse Prevention and Managing Risks

Prevention Through Policies and Training:

One of the most effective ways to mitigate the risks associated with hiring minors is by establishing clear policies and consistent training. These policies should define appropriate physical, verbal, and electronic interactions, and set boundaries for interactions both during and outside of work hours. It is important to treat minor staff as youth participants when considering how they will interact with adults on staff and the organization’s responsibility for their safety,

YSOs must also clearly define boundaries for minor employees and the youth they work with, with particular consideration for situations in which the minor employee has pre-existing or outside relationships with program participants.

YSOs should establish an age-gap requirement, requiring that consumers are at least two years younger than the youngest minor employee supervising them. For example, 16-year-old CITs can only assist with campers aged 14 and younger. Be sure that training for minor employees promotes professionalism, ensures awareness of the employee code of conduct, and documents preexisting relationships to manage boundaries between minor employees and program participants

Consistent training and frequent reminders are essential to ensure all employees—both minor and adult—understand the importance of boundaries and maintaining a safe environment. Training for minor employees must reiterate that within their roles, appropriate physical and verbal boundaries must be maintained, even if their relationships and interactions outside of the YSO may look different.

Hiring Process and Screening Minors:

Because background checks for minors may provide limited information, organizations should implement other measures to gain insight into a minor applicant’s appropriateness for the role. Third-party social media screenings can help identify any unprofessional or inappropriate conduct and spot potential red flags. Additionally, if the applicant has been a youth participant in the YSO’s program previously, the organization can take the participant’s past behavior and conduct into account when considering them as an applicant.

Although minors may not have the same scope of professional references as adult candidates, requiring personal references from non-family members, such as a school counselor, teacher, or coach, can provide valuable insight into the minor’s work ethic, reliability, and ability to complete tasks.

Implementing these additional measures beyond standard background and reference checks can help YSOs identify potential concerns and assist the organization in hiring the most suitable candidates.

Best Practices for Supervision:

Due to staffing shortages, many organizations have had to adjust their staff-to-youth ratios to include minor employees. While minors can assist in supervising youth, counting them in the official staff-to-youth ratio is against best practices. If a minor employee is included in the staff-to-youth ratio, it is crucial that adult employees are always present and actively supervising both the participants and the minor employee.

Fostering a Culture of Safety and Support:

Given the complexities of working with minor employees, organizations must prioritize a culture of safety and transparency. This includes creating clear reporting procedures to ensure minors feel comfortable speaking up if they witness or experience inappropriate behavior. Appointing a dedicated supervisor for minor employees to check in regularly can strengthen this support system. Promoting open communication among all staff members helps create a supportive environment where everyone understands their roles and responsibilities.

The growing trend of employing minors offers valuable opportunities for both minors and organizations, but as the number of minor employees rises, organizations must stay vigilant about the associated risks, especially the potential for sexual abuse. By implementing clear policies, comprehensive training, effective supervision, and an overall culture of safety, organizations can mitigate this risk and create a safe, supportive environment for adult employees, minor employees, and the youth the organization serves.