When your nonprofit or small business starts growing, it’s natural to look to the people you trust most — family members and close friends. And when summer rolls around, hiring teenagers can be a great way to fill seasonal gaps while giving them work experience. But before you put them to work on the family farm, there are some important rules to know, especially if you’re in Washington State.
Let’s talk about the key labor requirements for hiring family members and minors in agricultural work, so you can stay compliant, protect your nonprofit or business, and set yourself up for success.
Hiring Family Members: The Basics
Family ties don’t exempt workers from standard labor protections. If you’re paying a family member for their work, they are covered workers with the same rights as any other employee — with one narrow exception: family-owned farms. Under RCW 51.12.020(6), children working on a family farm may be included or excluded from mandatory workers’ compensation coverage, subject to age limitations.
For all other family employees, you are required to:
• Pay at least the Washington State minimum wage, $17.13 per hour for workers ages 16 and older, and 85% of the minimum wage for children under the age of 16 ($14.56).
• Provide workers’ compensation insurance
• Provide a paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours worked
• Provide an unpaid 30-minute meal break for every 5 hours worked (meal breaks do not need to be paid unless the employee is required to remain on site)
• Maintain a safe work environment
• Comply with Washington State child labor laws if the employee is a minor
• Assign only age-appropriate work
• Offer paid sick leave, accrued at a minimum rate of 1 hour for every 40 hours worked
You are also required to keep accurate records of all rates of pay, including non-discretionary bonuses and overtime.
Hiring Minors on the Family Farm
If you are hiring children or youth in your extended family, you must hold a Minor Work Permit endorsement on your business license for every location where minors work, and this permit must be renewed annually.
If you hire your own children under 18 to work on your family farm, they are generally exempt from child labor laws, workers’ compensation requirements, and age restrictions, so you do not need a minor work permit. That said, you are always welcome to opt your child into workers’ compensation coverage by submitting the Application for Exclusion/Inclusion of Mandatory Coverage (Family Farm) form.
Workers under age 12 may only work on a family-owned farm, defined as immediate family members of the farm owner. When school is not in session, 12-and 13-year-olds may only hand-harvest bulbs, berries, cucumbers, and spinach. All other crops and mechanical harvesting methods are prohibited.
For adult children ages 18–21, workers’ compensation coverage is required unless you opt out — which must also be documented on the Application for Exclusion/Inclusion of Mandatory Coverage (Family Farm) form.
A Note on Emancipated Minors
Emancipated minors are not required to submit parent or school authorization forms and are not subject to hour restrictions. However, they still can’t work in prohibited occupations, the same as any other minor. However, L&I suggests keeping proof of emancipation in your records.
L&I can help
Navigating youth and family employment rules can feel complicated, but staying compliant doesn’t have to be. Whether you’re hiring a family member for the season or bringing on teen workers, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries has resources to help you do it right.
If you have questions about hiring family members, reach out to an L&I specialist at 1-360-902-5800.