Employment Rights for Young People

Are you thinking of getting a job? Are you already working? If you are employed and under 18, there are certain restrictions on what work you can actually do, where you can do it and for how long each week.

Are you old enough to have a job?

If you're under 13, you cannot legally be employed, although you can take part in paid sport or entertainment with permission from your local authority.  Once you reach the age of 13, you may be allowed to be employed to do 'light work'. This is work which is not likely to affect your health, safety or education. Things you can do may include shop work or taking on a paper round.

Check with the local authority where your place of work would be to see what restrictions they have about the employment of 13 year olds.

When you're 14, you can be employed in a wide range of jobs, but there are still some that you can't do. For example you may not work in factories or on a building site. If you're unsure about whether you can work in certain jobs, check on these with the local authority.

These restrictions last until you become 16 and have left school, when you become classed as a young worker. This means that you'll have more choice in the jobs you can do. If you are 18 or over, you get the same work rights as adults.

Further Information

For the most up-to-date information about your employment rights, check out this page on the Direct.gov.uk website:

• Direct.gov.uk - "Employment Rights for Young People"

Working hours and young workers

If you are a young worker or a child worker, you have different employment rights from an adult worker. You get longer rest periods and more protection from night working. Unlike adult workers you cannot opt out of these protections.

Young workers and child workers

The number of hours you can work and the types of jobs you can do will depend on your age.

If you are 'compulsory school age' you are classed as a child worker. Compulsory school age is up to the end of the academic year of your 16th birthday.

If you are under 18 but over school leaving age (you are under school leaving age until the end of summer term of the school year in which you turn 16), you are classed as a young worker. Young workers have different employment rights to child workers.

If you are a young worker but you are employed on ships or as part of the armed forces, working time limits don't apply to you.

Further Information

For the most up-to-date information about employment time restrictions, either as a young worker or a child worker, check out this page on the Direct.gov.uk website:

• Direct.gov.uk - "Working Hours and Young Workers"