Almost all minors under the age of 18 are subject to California's child labor protections. Minors employed in the state of California must have a Permit to Employ and Work (commonly referred to as a "work permit").In California, almost all minors under 18 years old are subject to the state's child labor protections under the California Labor Code. Employing Minors Coverage. California follows a state minimum wage law. Additionally, covered minors must be paid time and a half for all hours worked on a sixth consecutive workday. Children ages 12 and 13 can only work on days when there is no school. The law allows them to work up to eight hours a day and no more than 40 hours a week. Minors under 16 may not work in the baking industry; Minors cannot use powerdriven meat processing machines and certain baking machines. The UC Berkeley Labor Center is maintaining an uptodate inventory of these laws, with details on wage levels, scheduled increases, and other law details.