Work for under 18s

If you're under 18 there are certain laws in place that you should check out before you get your first pay cheque.

There are strict regulations covering the hours young people can work and the minimum age for working. These laws are in place to ensure young people of school age are protected, their health and safety is looked after and to prevent exploitation. The law states that young people may only do work which isn't likely to be harmful to the safety, health and development of the person.

What is 'school-leaving age'?

You're considered to be of school-leaving age on the last Friday in June in the school year in which you turn 16. This means you may be 15 years and 10 months and school-leaving age or 16 years and 10 months and still be under school-leaving age.

What type of work can you do?

• Working in a bar: If you are 16 or 17, you can't work in a bar when it's open for the sale or consumption of alcohol, unless the work you do is part of an approved training scheme. If the licensee does employ you in these circumstances, it is the licensee, not you, who will be committing an offence.
• Working for the armed forces: If you're under 18, you'll usually need permission from both parents to join the armed forces. The armed forces have their own minimum age restrictions that reflect current recruitment needs. Details are available from your local armed forces careers offices.
• Babysitting (England and Wales only): You can babysit at any age, whether you're paid or not. You are allowed to look after a child of any age. However, if the child you're babysitting is thought to be at risk because it isn't being looked after properly, the child's parents could be prosecuted, or action could be taken to put their child into care.
• Acting, modelling and sports: If you are under school-leaving age you can take part in unpaid performances arranged by schools, but you must obtain a license from your local authority if you want to take part in a performance for which a charge is made. You must also obtain a license to take part in professional sport, or work as a model. You may perform up to four days in a period of six months without a licence. If you are above school-leaving age these rules don't apply to you, although your local authority may have some extra by-laws (see below).

What can you expect to earn?

The minimum wage for 16 to 17 year-olds is now £3.40 per hour; there is no set rate for under 16s. If you feel you aren't being paid enough, check and see whether your mates are being paid much more for their jobs. If they are, try to negotiate a pay rise with your boss.

What hours can you work?

If you are under school-leaving age, you are not allowed to work:

• Before 7am or after 7pm, or during school hours;
• For more than two hours on a school weekday, or for more than 12 hours in any week in which you are required to go to school;
• For more than eight hours on Saturdays and holidays (two hours on Sundays);
• During school hours on any school day;
• For more than 35 hours a week during the holidays.

You are also entitled to daily and annual rest breaks:

• If you work for more than four hours in any day, you must have a break of one hour.
• There must be a period two weeks during any of your holidays during the year when you do not work.

Be aware that these rules may vary in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

If you are 16-17, or above school-leaving age:

• You must not work more than eight hours a day, or more than 40 hours a week.
• You must have 12 hours' rest between each working day, and two rest days per working week.
• You are also entitled to a 30-minute rest break when you work for longer than four-and-a-half hours.

However, there are some exceptions to these rules:

• If you stay on at school, a local education authority can restrict the type of work and number of hours you can do.
• You're usually restricted from working between 10pm and 6am, although there may be some exceptions if you work in hospitals, agriculture, retail, hotels and catering, bakeries, post/newspaper deliveries, or in connection with cultural, artistic, sporting or advertising activities;
• If you are allowed to work at night, you must first be given free, regular assessments of your health and ability to do the work.

Local by-laws

The local authority where you live may also have some extra rules, called by-laws, about the employment of children and young people in your area. You should check with your local authority if you want to find out what these are. By-laws authorising children and young people to work in street trading must say which days, which hours, and the places where they may work. Employers who want to employ children or young people of school age are required to get a permit from their local authority. The permit must be signed by both the employer and one of your parents.

Thanks to the CAB for help with this article.