Child Employment Licence

Child employment licences are issued under the In accordance with the requirements of the Children & Young Persons Act and with the Local Authority Byelaws.

Children must be at least 13 years of age before they are allowed to begin work, and will require a licence until the last Friday in June of the academic year in which they become 16 years of age.

There are restrictions on the type of work that children of school age may undertake, and a licence will only be issued if the child is working in an area of employment which is not prohibited.

Some examples of the part time jobs that children can complete are:

  • agricultural or horticultural work
  • newspaper delivery round
  • shop work (including shelf stacking)
  • hairdressing salons
  • office work
  • riding stables
  • domestic work in hotels and other buildings offering accommodation
  • café work such as waiting tables

Babysitting for friends and neighbours is not classed as employment.

Child working hours
 Hours of work 13 and 14 year olds 15 and 16 year olds

On any day

Between 7.00am and 7.00pm

Between 7.00am and 7.00pm

School days

Maximum of 2 hours

Maximum of 2 hours

Saturdays

Maximum of 5 hours

Maximum of 8 hours
Sundays

Maximum of 2 hours

Maximum of 2 hours

Term time

Maximum of 12 hours a week

Maximum of 12 hours a week

School holidays

Maximum of 25 hours a week, 5 hours a day

Maximum of 35 hours a week, 8 hours a day

A child may not work for more than 4 hours in any day without a rest break of one hour.

Completion of an Child employment application form is the responsibility of the Employer and the Parent / Carer. Applications for a Child Employment Licence must be accompanied by a consent form, signed by a parent/guardian.

Failure to ensure that a child who is working part time has an Employment Licence may result in prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.