Employing young people

This guide provides an overview of the law relating to young workers at different stages of their lives.

It includes information on:

• workers under 16
• workers aged 16 and 17
• young workers aged 18 or over
• 14-19 Diploma
• Apprenticeships
• internships

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Employing workers under 16

You cannot employ children under 13.

There is an exception for certain types of performance, where a part can only be undertaken by a child of that age. Working hours are strictly controlled and they must have a permit issued by the local authority.

Most local authority websites allow employers to apply for a Child Employment Licence online. Search for your local authority by postcode on the GOV website [opens in a new window] 

Strict rules govern the employment of school-age young people and must be adhered to, even if you only want to employ them to do a paper round. No one under 16 may be employed in manufacturing or any dangerous activity.

In England and Wales, a young person can leave school on the last Friday in June if they are 16 or will be 16 before the start of the next school year. A child under 16 is defined as one under the minimum school leaving age.

Working conditions limitations

Young people aged between 13 and the minimum school-leaving age may not do any work, paid or unpaid:

• before 07.00 or after 19.00
• for more than two hours on a school day or Sunday
• before the close of school hours (however, local authority bylaws may allow young people to work for one hour before school)
• for more than 12 hours a week during term time
• for more than five hours (13 to 14 year olds) or eight hours (15 to 16 year olds) on Saturdays and during school holidays on weekdays
• for more than 25 hours in total a week – 35 hours if aged 15 or over – during school holidays
• for more than four hours without taking a break of at least one hour
• in any occupations prohibited by local bylaws or other legislation, for example in any industrial setting, pubs, betting shops, or in any work that may be harmful to their health, well-being or education

In addition, young people must have a two-week break from any work during the school holiday in each calendar year. See our guide on hours, rest breaks and the working week.

You must do a risk assessment before taking on school-age workers, or review your existing risk assessment. See our guide on managing the risks in your business.

Your local authority

Your local authority might have its own rules affecting school-aged workers so it’s important to check on these by-laws too.

You must also notify your local authority. They may require:

• evidence that the job will not be dangerous – your risk assessment and health and safety policy will be useful for this
• a permit for each worker

Search for your local authority by postcode on the GOV website [opens in a new window].

Statutory maternity and paternity pay

If a pregnant woman or an expectant father is legitimately employed before reaching the age of 16 and meets the qualifying conditions, they are eligible for statutory maternity pay (SMP) and ordinary statutory paternity pay (OSPP).

To find out about qualifying conditions for SMP or OSPP, see our guides on maternity leave and pay and ordinary paternity leave and pay.

For more information on eligibility to, calculating, paying and recovering statutory pay, see our section: maternity, paternity, adoption, sickness.

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Employing workers aged 16 and 17

Workers who are over the minimum school-leaving age but under 18 must not work for more than eight hours a day or 40 hours a week. These hours worked cannot be averaged out and there is no opt-out available. If you employ anybody in this age group you must also give them:

• a break of 30 minutes every four-and-a-half hours worked
• a rest period of 12 hours between each working day
• two days off a week

Young workers can not ordinarily work between 22.00 and 06.00. For more information on the rules for night workers, see our guide on Sunday working and night working.

All 16 and 17 year olds who are above compulsory school leaving age are entitled to a National Minimum Wage (NMW) of £3.68 an hour. Apprentices under the age of 19 are entitled to a NMW of £2.60 an hour.

Risk assessments

You must carry out, or review, a risk assessment, paying attention to the health and safety implications of employing young people. Find information on the health and safety of young people at work on the HSE website [opens in a new window].

Training

If you take on an employee aged 16 or 17 who has not achieved a certain standard in their education, they may be entitled to paid time off for study or training. Your business may be entitled to financial help toward the cost of this. Find information on time off for study or training on the GOV website [opens in a new window].

You can take on an employee up to the age of 24 under the Apprenticeship programme or one of your employees can join the programme. Read about apprenticeships on the GOV website [opens in a new window].

Eligible employees in businesses with 250 or more employees in England, Scotland and Wales have the right to request time to train.

See our guide consider time for training.

Redundancy

Age legislation removes the age limits on redundancy pay. This means that redundancy payments are available to employees, who have the minimum qualifying service of two years or more, regardless of age.

Payments are calculated using a formula with bands based on age. Employees receive half a week’s pay per year of service for each year served up to the age of 21, one week’s pay per year of service between the ages of 22 and 40, and one and a half weeks’ pay per year of service from the age of 41.

Calculate your redundancy pay on the GOV website [opens in a new window].

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Employing young workers over 18

You may still have special responsibilities to young workers, even when they are over the age of 18.

National Minimum Wage (NMW)

At 18, most workers should be paid at least the NMW, which is:

• £4.98 per hour for people aged 18 to 20 from 1 October 2011
• £6.08 per hour for those aged 21 and over from 1 October 2011
• £2.60 per hour for apprentices aged under 19 or those aged over 19 in the first year of a contract of apprenticeship

Apprentices aged 19 or over that have completed at least one year of their apprenticeship are entitled to receive the full NMW rate applicable to their age.

Working Hours

In general, workers aged 18 and over are entitled to:

• 5.6 weeks holiday a year
• work no more than six days out of every seven, or 12 out of every 14
• take a 20-minute break if they work more than six hours at a stretch
• work a maximum 48-hour average week

Training

Every young person aged 18 to 25 who has been unemployed for six months or more is offered a job or paid training under the Young Person’s Guarantee. Any young person who has been unemployed for 10 months must participate in the Guarantee.

Eligible employees in businesses with 250 or more employees in England, Scotland and Wales have the right to request time to train.

See our guide consider time for training.

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Diplomas for 14 to 19-year-olds

The Diploma qualification offers 14 to 19 year olds a practical, hands-on way of gaining the essential skills employers and universities look for.

The Diploma combines practical experience with classroom learning in order to encourage students to develop work-relevant skills as well as abilities in English, maths and ICT.

Employers benefit from better-qualified recruits who have a practical understanding of a work environment in addition to essential skills in English, maths and ICT.

The Diploma is available in a number of subject areas, from construction and engineering to hospitality and retail.

Courses and qualifications for 14 to 19 year olds on the GOV website [opens in a new windows].

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Apprenticeships, internships and education

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are real jobs with training. They are focused on the workplace and lead to nationally-recognised qualifications.

You can hire a new employee as an apprentice and you can also place existing employees onto apprenticeship courses as a way of improving their skills.

Most training typically takes place on-site with the rest provided by your college or learning provider.

Apprenticeships information for employers on the GOV website [opens in a new window].

Working with graduates

Internships enable jobseekers to develop valuable skills and boost their employment chances.

You can use the government’s Graduate Talent Pool (GTP) service to advertise internship vacancies to graduates.

To find out how to offer a graduate internship, see our guidance on the Graduate Talent Pool.

See the page on Knowledge Transfer Partnerships in our guide on how to work with UK universities and colleges.

Improving the employment prospects of young people

There are a number of ways that you, as an employer, can contribute to the education process and help improve the prospects of young people. These include:

• offer work experience places for students or work shadowing for teachers 
• provide resources, equipment and use of premises
• set actual business problems for students to solve in their projects
• give talks and lectures to enrich the curriculum with real business experience

See our guide on how to support the delivery of primary, secondary and further education.