I am a teen and have been learning to code for around eight months now. Throughout my studies and perusing of the web, I have noticed that, while there are many places for teens to learn code, there are not many opportunities for them to work in this field. So, I am thinking about starting an organization where teens use their coding skills to help people. Because these contractors are so young, their services would be offered at a discounted rate.
My question is: Would you hire a teen to code if you could save money? If so, how much money would you need to save?
I don’t know anything about the laws around underage people doing freelance work, so I can’t comment on that.
If I had a job posting and I was contacted by someone who offered to do the job at a rate I found acceptable, and they could demonstrate the knowledge and experience to do the job, that’s all that matters. I’m not even sure it’s legal to ask for age – it could be considered grounds for discrimination.
If you can get the work and you are good, I think you should get whatever the market will pay. Think about your question, but replace “teen” with “female” or “minority.” The obvious answer is that you should get paid the same as anyone else.
In the United States, at least, youth is not a protected class. You are not allowed to discriminate against someone for being over 40, but “too young” is legal. There are laws intended to protect minors against exploitation. I don’t know all the details, but there are restrictions on how many hours a minor can work per day and per week, how long their shifts can be, what hours they can work, etc. This is particular to direct employment. I don’t know what laws, if any, may apply to contract work. There may be issues with providing services to connect minor contractors with employers. I’m honestly not sure.
What little information I have is specific to the United States.
I am glad to hear that. I would agree that if a person offers acceptable rates and services, age should not factor in very much. Also, I am planning on thoroughly examining the laws about child labor before continuing .
