Special Employment Rules for 15 to 18 year olds

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Special Employment Rules for 16 to 18 year olds

If you’re between 15 and 18 and beyond the school leaving age, you are considered to be over the school leaving age providing you are over sixteen and/or it is after the last Friday in June, the common leaving date.

What are these special rules for 15 to 18 year olds?

Hours of work

You must not work more than eight hours per day, and must not work more than 40 hours per week. You must have 12 consecutive hours rest between each working day, plus two days rest per working week and a 30-minute rest break when working longer than four and a half hours.

Night work

If you’re over compulsory school leaving age and under 18 you are prohibited from doing night work between:-

10pm and 6am, or if you’re contracted to work after 10pm, between 11pm and 7am.

midnight and 4am, except in the most exceptional circumstances.

There are some exceptions if you’re working in hospitals, agriculture, retail trading, hotels and catering, bakeries, post/newspaper deliveries or in connection with cultural, artistic, sporting or advertising activities

the young worker's employer requires her/him to undertake work which is necessary either to maintain continuity of service or production, or to respond to a surge in demand; and

no adult worker is available to do the work; and

doing the work would not adversely affect the your education or training; and

for night work, you should be supervised by an adult if supervision is necessary for your protection, and you’re allowed an equivalent period of compensatory rest.

In addition to the rest breaks you can only be required to work an average of eight hours in each 24 hour period, and have a right to receive free health assessments.

Some local education authorities have restrictions on the type and hours of work a young person aged 16 or 17 can do if they stay on at school. Norfolk, however, have no restrictions.

Holidays for young workers

You are entitled to four weeks statutory annual paid holiday in the same way as other workers.

Should your employer consider sacking you for pointing out these concerns you may have a case to go before an employment tribunal and get compensation for the loss of your job. You would have this right as you are trying to enforce a statutory right and would not have to wait until you have worked there for one year before trying to assert your right.

If you require any more help please feel free to contact us

Disclaimer, Target Audience, Jurisdiction Last updated & checked: 24/03/2006