Child employment
In order for a child of compulsory school age to work lawfully, they must have a work permit. Application forms for these can be obtained from secondary schools or downloaded below:
Work permit application form [84KB]
A young person is of compulsory school age until the last Friday in June in the school year in which they reach the age of sixteen years.
In relation to the employment of children, there are three different types of days. These are:
- Days when pupils are expected to attend school
- Sundays
- All other days when schools are closed
All work permits are issued subject to the approval of the Local Authority.
These byelaws are in addition to any other rules and Regulations which apply to any particular workplace such as health and safety regulations.
Employers are responsible for ensuring that each child:
- Carries a work permit
- Works only the hours stated on the work permit
- Carries out only the employment stated on the work permit
- Has adequate and appropriate clothing for the work to be undertaken
- Is in a good state of health for the work they are undertaking
If you have any doubts as to the suitability of the workplace, please contact us.
13 years old
Type of work
A child of 13 can only be employed in light work in one or more of the following specified categories:
- Agricultural or horticultural work
- Delivery of newspapers, journals etc
- Shop work
- Hairdressing salons
- Office work
- Car washing (by hand in a private residential setting)
- In a café or restaurant - but not in a commercial kitchen
- In a riding stable
- Domestic work in hotels etc
Hours that can be worked
- No child shall start working before 7am or finish after 7pm
- On days that pupils are required to attend school, they can work for one hour before school and up to two hours after school, until 7pm. However, they must not work for more than two hours in total on any school day
- On all other days when the school is not open, children can work for a total of five hours. However they must have a break after four hours work of at least one hour
The total number of hours that can be worked each week is 25 hours.
Note: No child shall be employed on Sunday except in the delivery of newspapers for not more than two hours between the hours of 7am and 10am.
14 years old
Type of work
A child of 14 may be employed in light work as long as it is not on the prohibited employment list.
Hours that can be worked
- No child shall start working before 7am or finish after 7pm
- On days that pupils are required to attend school, they can work for one hour before school and up to two hours after school. However, they must not work for more than two hours in total on any school day
- On all other days when the school is not open, children can work for a total of five hours. However they must have a break, of at least one hour, after four hours work
The total number of hours that can be worked each week is 25 hours.
Note: No child shall be employed on Sunday except in the delivery of newspapers for not more than two hours between the hours of 7am and 10am.
15 years old and older
Type of work
A child of 15 may be employed in light work as long as it is not on the prohibited employment list.
Hours that can be worked
- No child shall start working before 7am or finish after 7pm
- On days that pupils are required to attend school, they can work for one hour before school and up to two hours after school. However, they must not work for more than two hours in total on any school day
- On all other days when the school is not open, children can work for a total of eight hours. However they must have a break, of at least one hour after four hours work
The total number of hours that can be worked each week is 35 hours.
Note: No child shall be employed on Sunday except in the delivery of newspapers for not more than two hours between the hours of 7am and 10am.
List of prohibited employments
No child of any age may be employed:
- in a cinema, theatre, discotheque, dance hall or night club, (except in connection with a performance given entirely by children or under the terms and conditions of an entertainment licence)
- to sell or deliver alcohol except in sealed containers
- to deliver milk or fuel oils
- in a commercial kitchen
- to collect or sort refuse
- in any work more than three metres above ground, or in the case of internal work three metres above floor level
- in employment involving harmful exposure to physical, biological or chemical agents
- to collect money or to sell/canvass door to door, except under the close supervision of any adult
- in work involving exposure to adult material or in situations which are for this reason unsuitable for children
- in telephone sales
- in a slaughter house or in a butcher's shop or other place connected with the killing/butchery of livestock or the preparation of meat for sale
- as an attendant or assistant in a fairground or amusement arcade or in any other place used for the purpose of public amusement by automatic machines, games of chance of skill etc
- in the personal care of residents of any residential home or nursing home