Familial and Pregnancy Discrimination is Illegal:
Employers cannot terminate your work, refuse to hire, lower your pay, or deny housing or employment solely because you have a family, require family housing, or are pregnant. Your employer is required to provide reasonable accommodations for disabilities, including disabilities related to pregnancy or recent childbirth, absent undue hardship.
Age Discrimination is Illegal:
In Michigan, employers cannot fire, refuse to hire, or treat workers differently based on age. Discrimination against legally employable children or older adults based on their age is unlawful.
Youth Employment in Fields and Orchards
Michigan employers generally do not allow children in fields or orchards unless they are eligible to work.
- Youth under 12 years old generally may not work.
- Youth ages 12 or 13 may perform non-hazardous farm work alongside their parents or with written parental consent.
- Youth under 16 are prohibited from doing “hazardous work,” such as operating machinery or handling toxic or explosive materials.
- Youth under 17, who have not completed high school, must attend school during public school sessions. Public school is free for all children in Michigan, regardless of immigration status.
- Additional restrictions apply to work in industries other than farm work.
Contact the Michigan Department of Migrant Education (517) 241-6974 for resources available to children of farmworkers.
Work Permits
Children do not need a work permit for farm work.
Children under 18 may need a work permit to perform other types of work, including “agricultural processing.”
Minimum Wages for Youth
Employers must pay at least the rates disclosed at the time of recruitment.
- Farmworkers, including youth, performing H-2A job duties must be paid at least $13.73 per hour in 2026, and $15.00 per hour starting January 1, 2027. Please visit Wages in Michigan for more information on wages.
- Additionally, US workers, including youth, who are working alongside or performing H-2A work are entitled to the benefits under an H-2A contract. Please visit H-2A Jobs for more information.
- Reduced training rates may be paid to youth ages 16-19 as long as they are not employed by H-2A employers and the reduced rates were disclosed at the time of recruitment.
- A farmworker aged 16 - 19 years old may be paid a minimum training wage of $4.25 per hour for the first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment.
- After 90 days (about 3 months),
- Farmworkers aged 16 - 17 may be paid a reduced post-training minimum wage that is 85% of the normal Michigan minimum hourly wage, meaning:
- From Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026, the post-training minimum wage is $11.67 per hour.
- From Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2027, the post-training minimum wage is $12.75 per hour.
- Farmworkers aged 16 - 17 may be paid a reduced post-training minimum wage that is 85% of the normal Michigan minimum hourly wage, meaning:
- Farmworkers ages 18 and over must be paid the normal Michigan minimum wage of:
- From Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026, $13.73 per hour and
- Starting Jan. 1, 2027, $15.00 per hour.
Record of Work
Employers must provide every person, including each child, employed in agriculture with their own paycheck and wage statement.
The employer may need to keep other records, such as evidence of the child’s age or the parent’s written consent.