According to a recent article in the New York Times, Rite Aid, one of the nation’s largest drugstores, is considering hiring 17 year olds as part of its workforce. Rite Aid has been in talks with the United States Department of Labor to make the change and is hoping to receive approval from the government by the end of the year.
The article points out that the move would be controversial, and that there are legal restrictions on how old someone can be before they can be employed. However, Rite Aid is hoping that the move will help it to attract and keep better employees.
The company has argued that the 17 year olds would be supervised and that they would not be allowed to work overnight or on holidays.
The article points out that there are a number of reasons why companies are looking to hire more 17 year olds. The age group is generally considered to be more vulnerable than older employees, and is therefore more likely to be motivated to learn new skills.
17 year olds are also less likely to have a criminal record, which can make them more desirable employees.
While the move is controversial, it is likely that Rite Aid will receive approval from the United States Department of Labor. The company is hoping that the move will help it to attract and keep better employees.
