Child Employee in United Kingdom

Definition of Child Employee

In accordance with the work A Dictionary of Law, this is a description of Child Employee : A child of compulsory school age (i.e. between 5 and 16 years) who undertakes paid work. Subject to certain exceptions, such employment is prohibited in Britain, and any employment under the age of 13 years is completely prohibited. Children are prohibited from working in industrial undertakings, factories, or mines. There are narrow exceptions for work in theatres and films, sports, work experience and/or training, and light work, with strict conditions attached in each case. In many cases these exceptions require that prior authorization is obtained from a local authority with respect to the proposed work

In particular, children falling within some of the above exceptions must not work for more than two hours on any school day (outside school hours) or for more than 12 hours a week during term times. Work must not start before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. These restrictions can be relaxed for working time during school holidays and for children between 13 and 15 years of age. Night work by children is prohibited between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., and children working more than 4Vi hours daily are entitled to a 30-minute break from work Local authorities are also empowered to further regulate the employment of children under byelaws. Although byelaws can differ from authority to authority, the majority conform to guidance issued by the Department of Health and are subject to confirmation and deregulation by the Secretary of State for Health.

Workers aged between 15 and 18 are referred to as young or adolescent workers. Their employment is restricted. At present they are entitled to 12 consecutive hours’ rest between each working day, two days’ weekly rest, and a 30-minute rest break when working longer than 4 1/2 hours. They are also entitled to four weeks’ paid annual leave. The implementation of further restrictions relating to young workers, as required by the Young Workers Directive 94/33/EC, is currently under consideration. These restrictions are: (1) the limitation of the working day to 8 hours and the working week to 40 hours; (2) restriction of night work between midnight and 4 a.m.; (3) restriction of night work between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. or 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.