Dear ,

As graduation caps fly and summer jobs beckon, thousands of Virginia teens are stepping into the workforce for the first time. Like many parents watching their children take this milestone step, I found myself scrambling for answers when my daughter landed her first job this month.

"Mom, do you think I get a lunch break?" she asked on her way out the door. It struck me how little we talk about workplace rights with our young people—and how much they need to know.

That conversation with my daughter sent me straight to Ramon, our worker justice organizer, who opened my eyes to some troubling realities. While our teens are eager to earn their first paychecks, many don't know their basic rights on the job. Even more concerning, child labor violations in Virginia are actually increasing, despite stronger penalties passed just last year.

Drawing from VICPP's The Rise of Child Labor report and Virginia's child labor code, here are the essential protections every teen worker should understand:

Age and Hours Matter

Workers as young as 14 can work outside school hours (with an employment certificate), but with important restrictions on hazardous jobs.

While 16- and 17-year-olds face fewer hour limitations, they must still comply with school attendance laws and local curfew ordinances.

Break Time Isn't Optional

Young employees cannot work more than five continuous hours without at least a 30-minute lunch break—yes, that includes my daughter's question!

These aren't just bureaucratic rules—they're essential safeguards for our children's health, safety, and emotional well-being. Yet violations continue to rise across the Commonwealth, putting vulnerable young workers at risk.

VICPP remains committed to strengthening these protections because every young person deserves a safe, fair introduction to the working world. Knowledge is power, especially for first-time workers. Our talented Bonner Program intern, from the University of Richmond, Ina Loka, has created an invaluable resource—a comprehensive flyer outlining youth workers' rights on the job.

Help us spread the word this summer. Share this resource with any young workers in your life. Whether they're scooping ice cream, lifeguarding, or working fast food, they deserve to know their rights from day one.

Together, we can ensure that every teen's first job experience is both empowering and safe.

In solidarity,
Keisha and Ramón

Rev. Dr. LaKeisha Cook
Executive Director

Ramón Zepeda Ramos
Economic Justice Organizer

The Southern Higher Education in Prison Collective (SHEPC), with the generous support of the Laughing Gull Foundation, sponsored a two-day site visit to Virginia last week for HEP practitioners from the Tennessee Higher Education Initiative under the Collaboration for Excellence program.

The visitors spent one day at Southern Virginia Community College's College Behind Bars and one day with staff, faculty, and alumni from Piedmont Virginia Community College and Resilience Education, in addition to Virginia Consensus for Higher Education in Prison (a program of VICPP) Director Terri Erwin, PhD 

In the last year, the Collaboration for Excellence has sponsored four HEP practitioner exchanges across southern states, from Virginia to Texas, to encourage dissemination of effective practices and strategies—recognizing the similarities in history, culture, and political environments among southern states in the U.S.

VICPP staff member Terri Erwin serves on the steering committee of SHEPC.

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy advocates economic, racial, and social justice in Virginia’s policies and practices
through education, prayer, and action.