Employment of children under school leaving age (Northern Ireland)
If you are under compulsory school leaving age you can only be employed in certain permitted
occupations:
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delivering newspapers, milk, groceries, foodstuffs, flowers or drapery goods
office work, except in premises licensed for the sale of intoxicating liquor, betting or gaming
hotel and catering work except in the kitchen or portions of premises licensed for the sale of
intoxicating liquor
work as a shop assistant, excluding any premises licensed for the sale of intoxicating liquor,
betting or gaming
domestic work
light agricultural work or horticultural work for your parents.
No-one under the minimum school leaving age can be employed in work other than light work, that
is, in work which is likely to be harmful to your safety, health, development or work that will affect
attendance at school or participation in work experience. If you are under 14 you must not work:
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for longer than one hour before school and the work period must end at least half an hour
before school starts
for more than two hours on a Sunday
between 1 July and 31 August without two weeks continuous holiday
without written parental consent to the your employment
without suitable protective clothing and footwear if you are to work outside.
In addition, if you are under the age of 15 you must:
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not work for more than five hours on a Saturday or non-school day
not work for more than 27 hours in a week
have a rest period of three consecutive hours during each twelve hour period
be allowed one hour for meals and rest after four hours continuous work on a Saturday, after
three hours continuous work on any other day.
If you are aged 15 but not yet over school leaving age you must:
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not work for more than seven hours on a Saturday or non-school day
not work for more than 37 hours in a week
be allowed one hour for meals and rest after four hours continuous work.
If you are aged 13 years and over, but under school leaving age you may not be employed:
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before the end of school hours on any day you have to go to school
for more than two hours on any day you have to go to school
before 7.00am or after 7.00pm on any day
for more than two hours on a Sunday
in street trading.
vs/ spss/ CAB /nov2010