A fast-food restaurant in the United States has caused outrage after people saw that it was advertising work to teenagers. Normally, this wouldn’t be much of an issue, as there’s nothing wrong with getting a part-time job to learn the importance of money early on or helping out your struggling family. However, the current context—many restaurants not finding the employees they need because they’re not offering good enough conditions and pay—makes it seem like someone’s trying to take advantage of 14 and 15-year-old teens.

Naturally, once people got wind of Burger King’s ‘desperate’ ad in Ohio, they started poking fun at it on social media. Some joked about the fast-food restaurant supposedly conscripting kids into service while others pointed out that they’re now looking for teen workers because the adults aren’t biting.

Keep in mind, though, that it’s not illegal for teenagers to work in Ohio. But before we get into that, have a scroll down and check out some of the best responses to the BK ad. Upvote the tweets that you agree with and share your opinion about the situation in the comment section at the bottom of this list.

#1

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#2

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#3

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In Ohio, the state’s child labor laws don’t allow children who are 13 or younger to work, except in some very limited situations. Meanwhile, 14 and 15-year-old teens are allowed to work in a variety of jobs, but there’s a limit to how many hours per day and per week they’re allowed to do that. Especially when school’s still in session.

Meanwhile, 16 and 17-year-olds living in Ohio can work a far broader range of jobs. However, the work cannot be deemed “too hazardous.”

#4

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#5

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#6

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The regulations limiting work hours are necessary to prevent children from being exploited in the work industry. What’s more, the regulations put an emphasis on just how important their education is: it’s a priority and cannot be sacrificed for the sake of making a living.

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#8

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#9

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So while school is in session, 14 and 15-year-olds can’t work more than 3 hours on a school day while the maximum work hours for non-school days is capped at 8 hours. Furthermore, their maximum hours are also capped at 18 hours per week.

#10

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#11

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#12

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This essentially means that teens who are 14 and 15 can have a part-time job if they want. However, they shouldn’t expect to be earning a living wage like many grownup professionals. There is an exception, though, and that’s if they’ve enrolled in work-oriented programs or are doing vocational cooperative training. In that case, the cap is raised to 40 hours per week.

#13

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#14

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#15

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Meanwhile, by the time that Ohio’s teens reach 16 and 17 years of age, they have no restrictions on how many hours a day and per week they can be at their jobs. The only thing is that they cannot be working during those hours when they should be at school. What’s more, they can’t start work super early if they’ve been working very late, as they’re still growing and developing, so sleep is essential for them.

#16

Image credits: TheImaniWilson

#17

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#18

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Taking into consideration the current pandemic context and Ohio’s labor laws, what’s your opinion about Burger King’s ad? Do you think that people’s criticism of it online is justified or do you think that it went a tad overboard? Share your thoughts and feelings below.