Young People Employment and the Law

Young People, Employment and the Law  

If your son or daughter is interested in getting a job, remember that they can't start full-time work until after their official school leaving date. This is usually the last Friday in June, in the school year in which they reach 16.  

The National Minimum Wage

The national minimum wage is £4.77 an hour for 18 to 21 year olds and £5.73 an hour for 22 year olds and over. 16 to 17 year olds (who are older than the official School Leaving Age) receive £3.53 an hour.   Apprentices under the age of 19 are not entitled to the National Minimum Wage, and neither are apprentices who are 19 or over during the first 12 months of their apprenticeship.  

How old does a child have to be before they can take part-time employment?  

 

Generally, 14 is set at the minimum age at which a child can be employed. However, there are some rules about how many hours and what kind of work they can do:  

  • They cannot work during school hours.
  • They are not allowed to work for more than one hour before school. 14-16 year olds cannot work before 7am or after 7pm on any day of the week. They cannot work more than 12 hours a week during term time – this includes hours worked at the weekend.
  • They are only allowed to do "light" work, which must not be dangerous or interfere with their health, well-being or education (they are not allowed to work in any industrial setting, e.g. factory, construction site etc).
  • They are entitled to a 1 hour break in every 4 hours of work and must have at least 2 weeks off work in a row during the school holidays of each calendar year.
  • There is no set minimum wage for under 16s, it is up to the employer to decide how much to pay.
  • Children may not work without an employment permit issued by the education department of the local council.  

 

How many hours can my school aged child work?

Click here to view a chart explaining how many hours your school aged child can work:...

 

What are the duties of an employer who takes on a child under the official school leaving age?  

  • Employers who employ children under the official school leaving age have several responsibilities:   
  • Employers must inform the education department of their local council that they wish to employ a school-aged child.    
  • If the council is satisfied with the arrangements then they will issue the child with   an employment permit. A child is not insured without one. This includes children working in family businesses.  
  •  The employer should also complete a risk assessment and give this to the parent/carer of the employed child.   For help and advice or to apply for a work permit contact the education department of your local council or education welfare service.    

What about 13 year olds?  

 It is possible for 13 year olds to take part-time employment provided that local byelaws permit them to carry out 'light work' on an occasional basis. If local byelaws do not mention that 13 year olds can work, then they should not be employed. To check what the byelaws say, contact the local authority or council in which the employment is to take place.    

Children under the 13 years of age may not be employed at all (although they may be able to take part in performances, sports and modelling, where a payment is made for the child's participation). If a child is offered work in these areas, they will need to get a performance licence. Performance licences are issued by the local authority. Before granting a licence, the local authority will contact the head teacher of the child's school to ensure that the child's education will not suffer if they give them a licence.    

 

Chaperoning

A child taking part in a performance - which can include TV, film, theatre, sporting activities or modelling – will need chaperoning. Chaperones are licensed by the local authority. Contact your local authority for more information. 

 What is light work?  

Light work refers to working tasks and working conditions that are not likely to harm the health, safety and development of children.  Possible examples include shop work including shelf-stacking, newspaper delivery and waiting on in a café or restaurant. Again, it is important to check the byelaws made by the local authority where the employment is to take place.  

For more detailed guidance on children and work, you can visit the frequently asked questions on child employment at the Children's Legal Centre website

Children's Legal Centre.You can also download their guide to child employment: attach PDF link. (child employment guide pdf). Click here.