Employment under school leaving age

You can only start full-time work when you reach the legal school-leaving age. This is the last Friday in June of Year 11.

Before that you can do some work – but there are strict rules:

• You must be at least 13 years of age
• You can only work part-time
• You can only do ‘light’ work such as babysitting or a paper round
• Any work you do must not cause any problems with your school work or attendance at school
• The work must not affect your health and safety
• You must have a work permit. You can apply for one from your Local Authority Education Welfare Department.

These rules ensure that work doesn’t get in the way of your school life.

The rules are slightly more relaxed for 14 and 15/16 year olds.

Make sure you add the skills and experience you gain to your MyPlan4Life profile or your CV. This will be really useful in the future when you are applying for other jobs, apprenticeships or college.

If you need more help and advice, speak to your Connexions Personal Adviser.

Weblinks

Business Link – workers under 16 - the rules.
External link: businesslink.gov.uk

Directgov – Employment rights for young people
External link: direct.gov.uk