§ 28-3-11. Hours of work for children. (a) No children under sixteen (16) years of age shall be employed or permitted or suffered to work more than forty (40) hours in any one week in any business or mercantile establishment within this state, and in no case shall the hours of labor exceed eight (8) hours in any one day. No child under eighteen (18) years of age shall be employed or permitted or suffered to work in any factory, manufacturing, mechanical, business, or mercantile establishment within this state more than forty-eight (48) hours in any one workweek. In no case shall the hours of labor exceed nine (9) hours in any calendar day, except when forty-eight (48) hours are worked in five (5) days, in which case the hours of labor shall not exceed nine and three-fifths (9 3/5) hours in any calendar day. There shall be an interval (or period of cessation from work) of not less than eight (8) hours between the ending of the period of work on one calendar day and the beginning of a period of work on the subsequent consecutive calendar day.

(b) No minor between the ages of sixteen (16) and eighteen (18) years of age regularly attending a public or approved private day school or institution of higher learning shall be employed or permitted or suffered to work in any factory, manufacturing, mechanical, business, or mercantile establishment within this state before 6:00 A.M. or after 11:30 P.M. of any one day preceding a regularly scheduled school day, except that the minor may be employed or permitted or suffered to work until 1:30 A.M. of any nonregularly scheduled school day.

(c) Any minor between the ages of sixteen (16) and eighteen (18) may be employed during school vacations without limitation as to the total hours to be worked in a given week or calendar day provided the provisions of all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations are complied with. This provision applies as long as it continues to be permitted by federal law and/or regulation.

History of Section. (P.L. 1943, ch. 1312, § 4; P.L. 1945, ch. 1625, § 1; P.L. 1950, ch. 2623, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 28-3-11; P.L. 1962, ch. 194, § 1; P.L. 1963, ch. 132, § 1; P.L. 1974, ch. 205, § 3; P.L. 1980, ch. 34, § 1; P.L. 1989, ch. 299, § 1; P.L. 1989, ch. 371, § 1.)