Child employment

Who counts as a child

The laws count a young person as a child while they are still of compulsory school age (up to the last Friday in June of the 1 September to 31 August school year in which they become 16).

What counts as employment

The law applies whenever a child is helping in an employer's business or trade, whether they are paid or not. The law does not apply to babysitting or helping at home

Child employment licences

By law, employers wanting to employ a child need a licence for each child, including their own children. They must apply within 7 days of the child starting work.

This means that if you are a child and you have been offered a part time job, your employer must apply for a licence. 

An employer who allows a child to work without getting a licence is breaking the law and could be prosecuted. Without a licence, the child will not be covered by the employer's insurance.

Apply for a work permit

Hours children can work

The hours children can work vary by age and are different in term time and holidays.

For full details see  GOV.UK - Child employment

Employer responsibilities

If you are employing children, you are responsible for all aspects of the child's safety and wellbeing while they are working for you.

You must do all the following:

• carry out a risk assessment and share your findings with the parents before you apply for a licence
• apply for a child employment licence within 7 days of the child starting work
• make sure the child is wearing suitable clothing and footwear
• be aware of and follow the laws about child employment at all times 

Parent responsibilities

If your child is starting a part-time job, the employer must share their risk assessment and the child employment licence application form with you.

For us to issue the licence, you need to do the following:

• check that you are happy with the risk assessment and that the job will not put your child at risk 
• confirm on the form that you are satisfied that the job will not harm your child's education
• answer the questions on the form about the child's health - if there is any doubt about the child's fitness to do the work, we may need the child to be checked by the school medical officer