Guidance for parents and employers

School age children often look for part-time work to earn extra pocket money. However, all children of compulsory school age must have a work permit. This is issued free of charge by Devon County Council.

Complete the child work permit application form now.

We are responsible for ensuring that the work is suitable and does not affect the child’s health or education before they issue it. There are laws about the rights of children to work that parents and employers need to be aware of.

If a child is involved in theatre, TV modelling performances or paid sport the rules are different and may require the child to be issued with a performance licence which again, we issue.

Children taking part in licensed performances must be supervised by a licensed chaperone (also sometimes referred to as a ‘matron’) unless they are supervised by their own parent or guardian.

Devon County Council provides an information sheet for parents chaperoning their own children without a chaperone licence, to make them more aware of what times their child can work, what the regulations allow and what they should expect to find in place at the location.

They are also responsible for the licensing of chaperones and an application pack is available for those chaperones who need to be licensed.

Please note that grandparents, other relatives or childminders are not legal guardians unless recognised as such by the courts. They cannot chaperone any child other than their own without a licence.

Hours of work

No child may start work before 7.00 am or finish later than 7.00 pm.

No child may work for more than two hours on a Sunday whether it is term time or holiday time.

When aged between 13 years and their school leaving date a child may work:

on school days – one hour before school and up to two hours after school. They must not work more than a total of two hours on any school day
on Sundays (during term time and holiday time) – a maximum of two hours

On other days when the school is not open children aged 13 or 14 years old can work for a total of five hours. They must, however, have a break of one hour after three hours of continuous work. Young people aged 15 years and over can work for a total of eight hours. They must, however, have a break of one hour after four hours of continuous work.

Total weekly working hours

Term time

Children aged 13-16 years (until official school leaving date) can work 12 hours in total including Saturdays and Sundays.

School holidays

Children aged 13 or 14 years cannot work more than 25 hours in any one week including Saturday and Sunday.

Children 15 years or over cannot work more than 35 hours in any one week including Saturday and Sunday.

The child must have at least two consecutive weeks free from work during their school holidays each year.

Steps for parents and employers to follow

Devon County Council Byelaws regarding the employment of children state the type of work that a child or young person may do. The hours that they can work under the Children and Young Person Act should be considered alongside other regulations that apply to the workplace, for example, Health and Safety Regulations or The Factories Acts.

No employment should impede the education of a child.

A work permit can be refused or revoked if the employment is likely to be harmful to the child’s education, safety or health. In order for a child of compulsory school age to lawfully work, they must have a work permit, issued on behalf of the Local Authority.

A young person is of compulsory school age until the last Friday in June in the school year in which they reach the age of 16 (normally at the end of year 11).

Employment is defined as working or helping in a trade or occupation carried on for profit, which may or may not involve payment. This also applies if the parent is the employer.

Employers are responsible for ensuring that each child:

has a work permit (complete an application form) – unless a child is registered they may not be covered by the employer’s public liability insurance
works only the hours stated on the work permit
carries out only the employment stated on the work permit
has adequate and appropriate clothing for the work to be undertaken
is in a good state of health for the work they are undertaking
has a risk assessment carried out relating to the proposed job of the child – the employer must inform the child’s parents of any control measures taken

Type of work and age restrictions

No child under the age of 13 years may be employed.

Children aged 13 may only be employed in light work in one or more of the following specified categories:

Agricultural or horticultural work.
Delivery of newspapers or journals.
Shop work.
Hairdressing salon.
Office work.
Car washing (by hand in a private residential setting).
Cafe or restaurant.
Riding stable.
Domestic work in hotels.

Children aged 14 and over may be employed in any light work provided that it is not on the list of prohibited employment.

Within one week of employing a child, an employer has a legal responsibility to send to the authority written notification of the employment. A child work permit application form is available here.

Employers can be prosecuted by Devon County Council if they:

employ children in a prohibited occupation
allow children to work outside the hours allowed
do not register the children with us

Prohibited employment

No child of any age may be employed:

in any industrial setting, for example, a factory or industrial site
in a cinema, theatre or club
to sell or deliver alcohol except in sealed containers
to deliver milk or fuel oils
in a commercial kitchen
to collect or sort refuse
in any work more than three metres above ground or in the case of internal work, three metres above floor level
in employment involving harmful exposure to physical, biological or chemical agents
to collect money or sell or canvass door-to-door
in telephone sales
in a slaughterhouse or in a butcher’s shop or other place connected with killing or butchery of livestock or the preparation of meat for sale
as an attendant or assistant in a fairground or amusement arcade or in any place used for the purpose of public amusement by automatic machines, games of chance or skill
in the personal care of residents of any residential home or nursing home

There is no minimum wage for children. It is up to the parents to decide whether or not they feel their child is receiving a fair wage.

If you have any doubts as to the suitability of the workplace, please contact the Education Welfare Office.

Elective home education

Students who are being educated at home are governed by the same laws with regard to child employment issues as any other child. Please read our guidance on employment and home education here.

Work experience

Confusion often exists around the issue of work experience. Please see our dedicated home education and work experience information.