Child Employment Guidance
There are separate laws and regulations governing children in Employment and children in Entertainment. This section provides information on the employment of children in areas such as newspaper delivery, shop work, office work etc.
For guidance on children who are modelling, acting or taking part in any kind of performance, please see the section on Children in Entertainment.
In this section:
- Who needs a permit?
- What kind of work is allowed?
- What kind of work is not allowed?
- Restrictions on hours of work
Who needs a permit?
Quick answer:
Children 13 - 16 years of age, plus 16 year-olds who are still in Year 11 at school. Permits are applied for by the employer to the borough in which their business operates.
It is illegal for children under 13 years old to be employed and children over 13 who are of compulsory school age must have a permit in order to work. Compulsory school age runs from the start of Year 1 (5-6 years old) until the last day of term in Year 11 (15-16 years old). This includes children who turn 16 before the end of term in Year 11.
Applications for Child Employment Permits are made by the employer to the Local Authority in which their business operates – so if a child will be working in Kingston, applications must be made to the Royal Borough of Kingston, even if the child lives in a different borough.
A Child Employment Permit is issued for a specific job and is not transferable to another employer or area of employment.
A link to the Child Employment Application Form can be found at the bottom of this page.
What kind of work is allowed?
13-year-olds: ‘light’ work only in the following areas:
- Agricultural or horticultural work
- Delivery of newspapers/printed material
- Shop work
- Hairdressing salons
- Office work
- Private car washing by hand
- Café/restaurant (but NOT in the kitchen)
- Domestic work (e.g. in a hotel)
14 years and over: any ‘light’ work except in prohibited or restricted areas, see below.
What kind of work is not allowed?
No child of any age may be employed:
- In a cinema, discotheque or night club
- In a commercial kitchen
- To collect or sort refuse, rags or scrap metal
- In any work that is more than three metres above ground level
- In telephone sales
- As an attendant or assistant in a fairground or amusement arcade
There are various other restrictions on the kind of work that children can do, including health and safety legislation, alcohol licensing and gambling laws. The government has issued detailed guidance on child employment which takes into account all these various factors – the link to this guidance is here:
Related External Links:
Restrictions on hours of work
School days:
- 2 hours a day between 7am – 7pm
Saturdays and holidays:
- Under 15s:5 hours a day (between 7am -7pm), max. 25 hours a week
- Over 15s:8 hours a day (between 7am -7pm), max. 25 hours a week
All children must have at least 2 weeks free during the summer holiday
Sundays:
- 2 hours between 7am – 7pm
For further information and advice, please contact the Education Welfare Service on 020 8547 5262, or education.welfare@rbk.kingston.gov.uk