You may need a work permit from us if you employ any children between the ages of 13 and 16 and pay them. A work permit is not required after the minimum school leaving age which is currently the last Friday in June at the end of Year 11. After this date children aged 15 or 16 do not need a work permit.
Applications should be made to the Local Authority area where the employer is based, not the Local Authority area where the child lives.
There are restrictions to:
- the types of employment that children can undertake, some types of work are prohibited
- the hours employed children may work
Children under 16 who are involved with acting or modelling will require a Child Performance Licence rather than a Child Work Permit.
It is the responsibility of the employer to conduct a risk assessment of the child's employment and provide adequate supervision and resources for children to work safely. For example, for working outdoors employers must ensure that the child has suitable work clothes and shoes for protection against bad weather.
For more information on child’s hours of work and medical care see the National Network for Child Employment and Entertainment (NNCEE) website.