Rights & pay
If your son or daughter is thinking of getting a job here are a few things they will need to know:
Depending on your son or daughter’s age there may be restrictions on the number of hours and type of work they can do.
Under 16 years old
There are some limitations about what sort of work your son or daughter can do until they reach 16 and leave school. There are certain types of work they are not allowed to do and they can only work a limited number of hours. Basically, 14 year olds can only work for up to two hours on weekdays and Sundays, and five hours on Saturdays. During school holidays the allowed working hours increase to five hours on weekdays and Saturdays, and up to two hours on Sundays. The amount of working hours allowed increases at age 15-16. For further details visit the Direct Gov website.
16 and over
Once your son or daughter has reached 16 they can work up to eight hours a day or a total of 40 hours a week, and there are fewer restrictions on the type of work they can do. You can find out more about the restrictions in place by visiting the Work Smart website which has information about workers rights and other topics, or the DirectGov website.
There are different levels of minimum wage depending on a worker’s age.
For young people who are below school leaving age (age 16), an employer can decide exactly how much they will be paid.
However, at the end of the summer term of the school year in which a young person turns 16 they become eligible for the national minimum wage.
The national minimum wage is the lowest amount that an employer in the UK can pay a young person – by law. A young person can be paid more than the national minimum wage but they must not be paid less.
From October 2010 the minimum hourly rates are:
- For young people of school leaving age and under 18 - £3.63
- For young people aged 18-20 - £4.92
- For people aged 21 and above - £5.93
There are some cases when the minimum wage may not apply, including au pairs, the armed forces and some Apprenticeships. You, or your son or daughter can get more information on the minimum wage from www.direct.gov.uk/payandworkrights which also runs a confidential helpline 0800 917 2368.
If your son or daughter is working and has left school they have other rights in the workplace.
Visit the Work and Training section in the Young People area of our website to find out more.
