Adolescents in the Workforce

Abstract

Although adolescents aged 14-17 may be legally employed in the United States and elsewhere, both theory and practice related to the employment experience of adolescents are lagging compared to other working populations. As such, the focus of this chapter is on this “forgotten minority” in organizational scholarship. We examine the differences between adolescent workers and adult workers via legal considerations, developmental considerations (i.e., differences between adolescents and adults on identity development, decision making and risk taking, and stress response), and individual characteristics (i.e., experiences, preferences, and motivations).

We then provide guidance on how these considerations likely impact both organizations and their adolescent employees. Lastly, we provide strategies for human resource practitioners to mitigate the problems that adolescent workers and organizations are likely to encounter.