work permits

A work permit is issued individually for a specific job and specific student. If a student has two jobs, he needs two work permits. Generally, a work permit is valid until five days after the opening of the next school year. So permits already issued during the current school year will continue to be valid throughout the current school year. Of course, if a student changes jobs, he will need a new permit since each permit is issued only for a particular job.

All public and private school principals who self-certify that they understand the laws related to work permits may issue work permits to students enrolled in their schools. The principal may also authorize another administrator to issue the permits. This means that most students will obtain a work permit from their own schools.

However, school principals and administrators cannot issue permits to their own children. So in a situation where the principal’s own child attends his school, the principal will have to arrange for a different administrator to issue the permit to the principal’s son or daughter. Additionally, this other administrator will need to be authorized by the principal to issue permits and will have to meet the self-certification requirement described later in this article.

No. In order to issue work permits, the principal or other administrator will have to self-certify that he understands the requirements in existing law for issuing a work permit. Some schools will not have anyone on staff who is familiar with the laws governing work permits, and so will choose not to issue permits at all. Others may be willing to issue permits eventually, but must first familiarize themselves with the laws so that they can complete the certification.

Yes. Under the 2010 law, if a student’s school does not issue permits, the student may obtain a permit from one of the following sources:

1. the superintendent of the school district in which the student resides, or
2. any work experience education teacher or person who holds a services credential with a specialization in pupil personnel services, so long as the person issuing the permit has written authorization by the school district superintendent to issue permits.

Yes. If the student lives in an area not covered by a school district, and if the student does not attend a charter school, he may obtain a permit from one of these sources:

1. the county superintendent of schools, or
2. any certificated work experience education teacher or coordinator, or any person who holds a services credential with a specialization in pupil personnel services, so long as the person issuing the permit is authorized by the county superintendent of schools in writing.

Yes. Parents may revoke a work permit by revoking their permission for the student to have a job. Additionally, the person who issued the permit may revoke it, and the superintendent of a school district may revoke a work permit issued by the principal of a public or private school located within the district if the superintendent becomes aware of any grounds upon which the pupil may be deemed ineligible for a work permit under existing law.

Nothing in the law prohibits a private school from adding new administrators at any time. Thus, a homeschool parent who is the principal of his own family-sized school could add an administrator to his school staff. In order for the new administrator to issue permits, he must meet the self-certification process described below and must be authorized by the principal to issue permits. Further, nothing requires that school administrators work full-time, nor that they be paid employees, so the additional administrator could be a part-time volunteer. However, if an administrator is paid, he would have to meet the criminal record summary requirements of Education Code Section 44237.

No. Affidavits are required to be filed just once each year. The affidavit provides a statistical “snap shot” of your school as it existed on a particular date between October 1-15. You do not need to file again every time your school information changes. Any new information will be reflected on next year’s affidavit. Additionally, the affidavit does not require that every administrator be listed by name. Only a couple of key administrators are identified by name on the affidavit form; the rest are simply included in the tally showing total number of administrators. So for the next year, the only item likely to change as a result of adding an administrator is the total number of administrators in your school.

A copy of each issued work permit and each “Intent to Employ” form must be given to the local public school district superintendent, who has the authority to revoke a permit if he or she becomes aware that the student is not legally eligible for a work permit. Additionally, as stated in the answer to the previous question, the Department of Education is interpreting the law to require that the self-certification form signed by the principal or administrator who is issuing permits must also be sent to the local district superintendent.

The CDE’s proposed forms indicate that they are to be sent to the local school district superintendent within 30 days after a work permit is issued. This deadline does not appear in the law; however, the law does require that the forms be sent and, in the absence of a specified time, such requirements are usually interpreted to mean within a reasonable time. We recommend sending copies of all forms issued at the end of each month. This practice would insure that forms are sent within the 30 days requested by the CDE without being burdensome to private school staff. The self-certification form should not need to be sent more than once, the first time the principal or administrator sends copies of issued permits.

Currently, the most concise information is available on the CDE’s website on the Work Permit for Students page.

Yes and no. Prior to the 2010 law, students could work a prescribed number of hours each day and week based on whether the public school was in session. Under the new law, the hours a student can work are linked to the school in which the student is enrolled. So there is no change for public school students. However, the new law allows flexibility where a private school schedule is not the same as that of the public schools.

There are three forms to use. First, the principal or administrator who will be issuing work permits must self-certify that he understands the requirements in existing law for issuing a work permit. The B1-8 Form, “Statement of Intent for Self-Certification for Permit to Employ and Work” can be downloaded from the CDE website.
 
Second, the B1-1, “Intent to Employ Minor and Request for Work Permit,” is used by a minor to request a work permit. The B1-1 is taken by the minor to the employer who intends to hire the minor. The form is filled out and taken to the principal or administrator who will issue the work permit.

Third, the B1-4 “Permit to Employ and Work” is the actual work permit. It is filled out and signed by the principal or administrator who has received the B1-1 and approves the minor’s employment.