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Work Permits / Work Experience Education

WORK PERMIT PROCESSING

 

 

 

  1. You must have been hired for a job
  2. Pick up a Work Permit Application from your school or download and print one (see below).
  3. Complete the "Minor's Information" and "School Information" sections of the application.
  4. Have your parent/guardian fill out the "Parent" section.
  5. Take the application to the employer that hired you and have them fill out the "Employer" section. (Since the Work Permit is made out to your employer, we will not process applications without the EMPLOYER section filled out)
  6. Carefully review your application to assure that everything is clear and legible.
  7. Take your completed application to your school's College Center Advisor/WE Teacher (see below):

California High School: Minda Owen-Fitzgerald - Room Z6

Frontier High School: Daryl Morita - Room 505

La Serna High School: Laura Glass or Elizabeth Correa - College Corner A-212

Pioneer High School: Lucero Chavez - Horizons Office

Santa Fe High School: Alejandra Gonzalez or Veronica Murillo - Room X-3

Sierra Vista High School: Larry Neberman - Building "O" next to the Gym and Adult School

Whittier High School: Christy King - Room W-1

 

Once received, your application will be processed within 1-3 business days and the Work Permit will be mailed to your home. An encrypted digital version of the work permit will also be e-mailed to your school e-mail and your parent/guardian. Please note that a second e-mail will provide you with the password to open your digital work permit. Your digital work permit may be used to work temporarily until you receive your original work permit in the mail. If you have any questions, please call (562) 698-8121, ext. 1080.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Work Permit?

 

A work permit is a legal document required by the state of California that allows a person under 18 years of age (minor) to hold a job. An employer who hires a minor must have the work permit on file at the business site before the minor may start the job. An employer risks getting a fine (like a traffic ticket) from a California Labor Department inspector if no work permit is on file for a minor employee. 

 

 

What if I attend a Private School or an Online School, can I get a Work Permit?

If you attend a Private School within the boundaries of the Whittier Union High School District (WUHSD) or you attend an Online School and reside within the boundaries of this District, you are eligible to obtain a Work Permit (WP) with the WUHSD as the issuing authority. Please follow the directions below:

  1. You must have been hired for a job
  2. Download and print a Work Permit Application (click here)
  3. Complete the "Minor's Information" and "School Information" sections of the application. 
  4. Have your parent/guardian fill out the "Parent" section.
  5. Take the application to the employer that hired you and have them fill out the "Employer" section. (we are unable to process a Work Permit application without the employer’s section completed and the employer and parent/guardian signatures)
  6. Have your school fill out the box on the bottom left of the application; "Proof of Minor's Age, Verifying Authority's Name, Title and Signature"
  7. Carefully review your application to assure that your address and the employer's address are clear.
  8. Scan your application or take a picture of it. If you take a picture, please crop it so that only the application is visible.
  9. Compose an e-mail with your Name in the Subject box and attach a PDF/picture of your completed work permit application; send it to [email protected]
If you are unable to have your school confirm and sign the section entitled "Proof of Minor's Age", we require that you provide in your email proof of enrollment (ie: school transcript which includes your school's name and address, your date of birth, and your home address).
 
Once received at the District, your application will be processed within 1-3 business days and the Work Permit will be mailed to your home. An encrypted digital version of the work permit will also be e-mailed to you. Please note that a second e-mail will provide you with the password to open your digital work permit. If you have any questions, please call (562) 698-8121, ext. 1080.

 

 

At what age can I get a Work Permit?

 

In most cases, students must be at least 14 years of age to get a work permit. Infants to 17-year-olds can get an ENTERTAINMENT WORK PERMIT (see below for application and instructions) to work in the movies, on television, or do modeling. Other than this, workers under 14 years of age may do babysitting, yard work, and paper routes that do not require work permits. Although 14 and 15-year-olds may get work permits, most employers will not hire students under age 16. This is because worker's compensation insurance usually does not cover workers under age 16. Worker's compensation insurance is a type of insurance employers are legally required to have that helps pay medical bills when workers get injured on the job.

 

To get or keep a Work Permit, must I attend school?

 

Yes! Requiring work permits for minors ensures that they stay in school and have parent or guardian permission to have a job. Without school attendance or permission from a parent or guardian, no work permit may be issued. If a student drops out of school, a work permit may still be obtained if he or she enrolls in continuation school, adult school, ROP (Regional Occupational Program), or community college classes.

 

How often do I need to get a Work Permit?

 

Each time a minor is hired for a new job, a new work permit must be obtained and given to the employer. In addition, all work permits expire shortly after school starts in September (or August). Therefore, even if you still work at the same job, you must get a new work permit application, complete it, get a new work permit, and give it to your employer. California lawmakers wanted to make sure that all working minors return to school for fall semester, so they decided to make work permits expire at the end of summer vacation so that working minors would have to report to school to get new work permits.

 

Do I need a Work Permit in the summer?

 

If you received a work permit during the school year, it will be valid even during the summer (have your employer refer to the "School Not in Session" portion of the permit). If you just got hired for the summer, you will need to apply for a Vacation work permit. (SEE ABOVE FOR CURRENT WORK PERMIT PROCESSING GUIDELINES)

How many hours may I work?

Workers who are ages 14 and 15 may work 3 hours on a school day and 8 hours on a non-school day for a total of no more than 18 hours per week during the school year. They may work no later that 7 p.m. Workers who are ages 16 and 17 may work 4 hours on a school day and 8 hours on a non-school day for a total of no more than 20 hours per week during the school year. Workers who are ages 16 and 17 may work no later than 10 p.m. on a school night, and no later than 12:30 a.m. on a night before a non-school day (such as Friday and Saturday nights). There are exceptions to the rules for workers ages 16 and 17. If these workers are enrolled in Work Experience they may be issued work permits that allow them to work more hours on a school day, more hours during the week, and work past 10 p.m. on a school night. Please see the Work Experience section below for more details. In the summer, students that are 14 and 15 years old may work up to 40 hours a week and those that are 16 and 17 years old can work up to 48 hours a week.

Can a Work Permit be taken away?

Yes! The work permit can be canceled and taken away at any time by the California Labor Department inspector if he or she feels it is not in the best interest of the student to work at the job site. In addition, a work permit can be canceled at a parent or guardians request. Finally, a work permit can be canceled by the issuing authority (person who signed the work permit at the district) for a good reason. Good reasons for canceling a work permit include: student is continually absent or tardy to class, student is failing classes, student is not completing homework, student is sleeping in class, student is being asked to work during school time, or the job site is not safe.

Work Experience Education 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Work Experience Education?

Work Experience is an elective class, which combines, paid employment experience with classroom instruction. Students develop work habits, attitudes, self-confidence, job-related skills, and a personal portfolio, which can be used to locate, secure, and retain employment. Students must obtain on their own, a job, meeting the course requirements. The course curriculum teaches students how to get a job, keep a job, leave a job, as well as economic and career awareness.

 

Can I work more hours if I take Work Experience?

 

Yes! You can work up to 8 hours on a school day. Also, you may be able to work until 12:30 a.m. on any night of the week.

 

What are the requirements for enrolling in Work Experience?

 

  • You must be employed and be at least 16 years old
  • You must be an 11th or 12th grader
  • You must attend a class once a week

 

How do I enroll in Work Experience?

 

You have to attend a school that is conducting a Work Experience class for the current school year. Click below to see a copy of the WE "Training Agreement" that must be completed to sign up for the class. Please contact the Work Experience teacher at the following participating schools for further details:

JOB RESOURCES