Next week is National Apprenticeship Week which is a timely reminder to make sure you are following all legislation regarding Young Workers.
A young person is of compulsory school age until the last Friday in June of the academic year in which they reach the age of 16.
There are currently laws in place to protect young people in the workplace. When you employ young people under the age of 18, you have the same responsibilities for their health, safety and welfare as you do for other workers. Once they have left school, they can work up to 40 hours per week. Although in England, a young person must be in part-time education or training until 18 years of age, and work must not interfere with their further education.
Although getting a job can be an exciting way to find independence and make new friends, it’s still a big step and it’s important that no one feels rushed into it.
When employing young workers, employers have a responsibility to keep them safe. This includes making sure they have somewhere safe to work and that their job is suitable for their age and ability. If a child is below school leaving age, their employer must inform their parents or carers about any risks and safety measures.
Young people are likely to be new to the workplace and so are at more risk of injury in the first six months of a job, as they may be less aware of risks due to lack of experience, immaturity or simply be unaware of how to raise concerns
They need clear and sufficient instruction, training and supervision so they understand the importance of health and safety and can work without putting themselves and other people at risk. If your workplace has health and safety representatives, they can play a valuable role early on by helping with their ongoing training and giving employers feedback about particular concerns.
Child Employment in England is covered by the Children & Young Persons Act 1933 and local bylaws drawn up by each local authority. The legislation and bylaws are in place to safeguard children from potential risk to ensure that any employment does not adversely impact their education.
The employer must undertake a risk assessment for all children they intend to employ. They should consider their lack of experience, their lack of awareness of existing or potential risks and age. The risk assessment must be shared with their parent or carer before the employment begins.
If you need support with risk assessments, we can help with our consultancy service. Or, why not attend our risk assessment training course, aimed at staff responsible for carrying out risk assessments within their workplace?
View the summary list of permitted working hours of employment here and the official legislation covering compulsory school age children here.
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