Jobs
Many young people want to get a job to earn some money. As a general rule, you must be at least 13 to get a part-time job. There is one exception to this - if you are younger than 13, you can take part in some film or television jobs, but the hours you can work are very limited. Your school and local council should be able to give you more information about this.
Working hours for 13-15 year olds are limited. You can't work before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. You can only work for a maximum of two hours on school days and Sundays. On Saturdays, you can work for up to five hours between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. if you are 13 or 14 and eight hours if you are 15. A recent change to existing legislation also provides that you cannot work for more than 12 hours in a week in which you are required to attend school.
Young people who want to work need to get a permit from the local council. It is there to make sure you will be safe when you are working. You can ask at school about the permit scheme.
If you want to work full time, you have to be 16, but you can't be involved in serving alcohol until you are 18. You are not entitled to the minimum wage until you are 18.
