Can my mother force me to stop working at 16?
Location: Illinois
I'll be 16 in exactly a week, and I wanted to know whether my mother could legally get an employer to take away my job at 16 just by telling them that she doesn't want me to work.
My mother and I don't have a good relationship and never really have had one. Although I live with her, we don't speak to each other at all unless she's asking me to do something. I am responsible for a lot of my own basic needs. I often buy my own food, I pay for my hygiene products, and I maintain my upkeep alone as well as buying anything else I need. I've tried asking her for things before, but she ignores me or lies and says she'll do something just to never end up doing it. I don't have a dependable parent, which is why it is imperative that I get a job.
I've come to the realization that when my mother is mad at me, she will do anything in her power to try to "punish" me to make herself feel better & feel as if she's controlling me. She's taken me off the track team because she knows I enjoy running, she's threatened to take me out of the school I go to because it's a very good school academically that I actually enjoy attending, and etc. If she's done this, then I have no doubt she'll try to force me to stop working the moment she gets mad. That is why I am asking if she is able to do so.
I tried to do a bit of research on this, and as far as I know, parental consent is not required to get a job at 16 in Illinois. If you're 16+, then you no longer need a workers permit, which is something a parent needs to sign. If there's no workers permit involved in the employment process, then the parent doesn't have anything that can be seen as their consent to revoke. Also, I couldn't find any law that specifically gives parents the authority to force their child to stop working if they're already 16 or older.
If anyone has any insight or information on this topic, I'd appreciate it if you could enlighten me. I didn't do a deep dive when I researched, so I'm sure there's things I'm missing.