Illegal and injurious: How Alberta has failed teen workers

The Parkland Institute has released a report about teen employment in Alberta today. Illegal and Injurious: How Alberta Has Failed Teen Workers looks at the working conditions faced by teens in Alberta.

Among the report’s findings are that up to 70 percent of 12- to 14-year-olds in the province may be employed in prohibited occupations, and that more than half of all employed teens experience work-related injuries each year.

This sad state of affairs reflects that (1) employers don’t tend to obey workplace laws and (2) Alberta’s Progressive Conservative government largely failed to enforce those laws. This is profoundly disappointing given the vulnerable nature of teen workers. Hopefully, Alberta's New Democratic government will give teen workers more consideration.

-- Bob Barnetson