Say YES to No More Work Permits!

State's New Youth Employment System Goes Live

Media Release: Hoosier Employers Who Hire Minors Face New Requirements

The Indiana Department of Labor’s new Youth Employment System, or YES, is now live, opening the door for Hoosier employers to begin using the system to comply with a new youth-employment law that goes into effect July 1.

The new law requires Indiana employers who hire five or more minor employees (under age 18), per location, to list those employees in the new YES registry. The change is part of amendments to Indiana Code 22-2-18.1-26 made during the 2020 state legislative session, which also mandated implementation of the YES registry and effective date of employer registration by July 1, 2021.

“We wanted the system to go live a month before the law goes into effect so employers can set up their accounts, test-drive the system, and learn their way around it,” said Michael Myers, director of DOL’s Bureau of Youth Employment.

The new requirement will eliminate the need for work permits in Indiana for minor employees, and shift the responsibility of tracking and reporting youth employment from schools to employers.

Required information will include the employers’ corporate and individual facility location, and minor employee information, such as name and age, once the minor is officially employed. Upon termination of employment, the employer must remove the minor’s information from the YES active-employee registry. As of July 1, employers who fail to comply with the new registration requirements may face penalties of up to $400 per infraction.

The new YES requirement will not impact the state’s work-hour requirement for minors, and all employers must still comply with the Teen Work Hour Restrictions and Prohibited and Hazardous Occupation restrictions for minors.

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Youth Employment System (YES) FAQs

Does this mean that work permits are going away in Indiana?

Yes, Indiana Code 22-2-18.1-26 sets new requirements that no longer require employers to secure a work permit from a minor employee through their school. However, any Indiana employer who employs five or more minor employees must register themselves as a youth employer, and provide information about their minor employees. This new requirement goes into effect July 1, 2021, and penalties will be assessed for noncompliance at that time.

 

What is YES?

YES stands for the Youth Employment System, provided by the Indiana Department of Labor. YES is a new minor-employee registration system mandated by Indiana Code 22-2-18.1-26.

 

Who can use YES?

All Indiana employers who employ five or more minor employees MUST register in YES. This requirement will become effective July 1, 2021.

 

What type of information must employers register in YES?

Employers will be required to provide corporate and individual location information, and minor employee information once the minor is employed.  Upon termination of the minor, that employer must remove the minor from YES.  

 

What if our organization employs less than five minors?

Employers who employ four or fewer minor employees are not required to use the new system.

 

Is there a penalty for not using YES?

After the effective date of July 1, 2021, the Indiana Department of Labor’s Youth Employment Division will assess penalties for employer noncompliance, per Indiana Code 22-2-18.1-26.  YES will go live in early June 2021, and employers who employ five or more minor employees are strongly encouraged to sign up and become familiar with YES before the new requirement goes into effect on July 1.

 

What is the penalty for noncompliance?

Penalties can be assessed for failure to use YES to register minors, failure to remove a minor from the system once employment ends or failure to correct the number of minors employed in YES. Penalties range from $100 to $400, depending on the noncompliance infraction.

 

Does this new requirement eliminate the work-hour requirements?

No. The new system and registration requirement will not impact the state’s work-hour requirement for minors, and all employers must still comply with the Teens Work Hour restrictions.

 

Do minor employees need any documentation from their school, to share with their employer?

No. Schools will no longer be responsible for tracking and registering minor employees in Indiana. That responsibility will become the legal obligation of the employer.

 

When can employers begin using the new system?

YES will go live in early June 2021. Employers who employ five or more minor employees are strongly encouraged to sign up and become familiar with YES before the new requirement goes into effect (July 1, 2021). For updates, visit to the Youth Employment section of the DOL website.

 

Where can I get training to use YES?

For more information and training, please contact: YouthEmployment@dol.IN.gov.

 

Who can my organization speak to about a presentation or information session about YES and the new requirement?

We welcome the opportunity to speak with organizations, associations, chambers of commerce, etc. about YES. To discuss a presentation or information session, please contact: YouthEmployment@dol.IN.gov.