Legal working age

Minimum age required by law for a minor to work From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The legal working age is the minimum age required by law in each country or jurisdiction for a person to be allowed to work. Activities that are dangerous, harmful to the health or that may affect the morals or well-being of minors fall into this category.

Parties to the International Labour Organization's 1973 Minimum Age Convention
  16
  15
  14

Africa

More information Country, Kenya ...
Country Legal Working Age
Kenya
13: (Easy Work)
16: (Restricted working hours and the type of work)
18: (Unrestricted)[1]
Nigeria 12: Light work with family
15: Up to industrial work
16: Unrestricted[2]
South Africa 15: (Restricted working hours and the type of work)
18: (Unrestricted)[3]
Egypt 14: (Restricted working hours and the type of work)
16: (Unrestricted)
Morocco 16: (easy work)
19: (Unrestricted)
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Americas

More information Country, State / region / province ...
Country State / region / province Legal Working Age Notes
Anguilla 12 [2]
Antigua and Barbuda 14: (Restricted working hours)
18: (Unrestricted)[4]
Argentina It is forbidden to employ workers under 18 years of age for arduous, unhealthy, or hazardous work.
14: The working week for young workers between 14 and 16 years of age should not be more than 3 hours per day and 15 hours per week, only in the mother's, father's or legal guardian's company.
16: Young workers aged over 16 but under 18, have the right to work during normal business hours
18: Unrestricted[5]
Aruba 14
Bahamas 14: (Employment during school hours is prohibited; Night work is prohibited; Industrial work is prohibited; Conditions in respect of young persons: in a school day, for not more than three hours, in a school week, for not more than twenty-four hours, in a non-school day, for not more than eight hours, in a non-school week, for not more than forty hours.)
16: (Unrestricted)[6]
Barbados 16: (Employment during school hours is prohibited; Night work is prohibited; Industrial work is prohibited)
18: (Unrestricted)[7]
Belize 14 [4]
Bermuda 13
Bolivia 10: Independent work (e.g. street selling) with parent permission and government supervision
12: Contract work (for a boss) with parent permission and government supervision; no more than 6 hours per day, not during school hours, and if it does not interfere with schooling
Brazil In Brazil, any work for minors under 16 years of age is forbidden, except for apprentices, who can start working at 14 years old. Until the age of 18, it is strictly prohibited for the teenagers to work at night or in dangerous or unhealthy conditions.[8]
14: Only apprentices can start working. It is forbidden to work in any other job.
16: Teenagers are allowed to work in any job, but they are prohibited to work at night or in dangerous or unhealthy conditions.
18: Unrestricted.
British Virgin Islands 16
Canada Federal The Government of Canada defines work as "

any activity that:

  • you are paid to do, or
  • you are not paid to do but is a job that:
    • you would usually be paid for, or
    • would be a valuable work experience for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (for example, an unpaid intern)."[9]

Under 18: Only in an occupation specified by the regulations and subject to conditions fixed by the regulations for employment in that occupation.[10] 18: Unrestricted

Alberta Under 12: Consent of parent or guardian is required. Only in artistic endeavor, of which a permit is required (see Notes column). Allowable hours of work and other restrictions determined during the approval process for this permit.

13 to 14: Consent of parent or guardian is required. Only allowed if it does not negatively impact child's life, health, education or welfare. Work hour restrictions include:

  • Working between 9 PM and 6 AM is prohibited.
  • Working during school hours is prohibited, unless the child is enrolled in an off-campus education program.
  • On a school day, work is restricted to being outside regular school hours and up to maximum of 2 hours.
  • On a non-school day, work is restricted to a maximum of 8 hours.Positions not requiring a permit include:
  • Working inside an office as a clerk or messenger, or performing light janitorial work.
  • Working for a retail store as a delivery person for small goods and merchandise or a messenger.
  • Working for an association as a coach.
  • Working for an athletic club as a coach.
  • Working at a restaurant or any other establishment in which food is prepared and served, or sold, as a food service employee under continuous adult supervision. These include assembling food orders, bussing/cleaning tables, providing customer service and mopping/sweeping common areas, as well as being a cashier, dish washer, host/hostess, server and waiter.
  • In general, delivering flyers, newspapers, handbills and in tutorial.

For any type of work not listed above an Employment Standards permit is required. Additionally, if the work is for an artistic endeavour, an Employment Standards permit is required (see Notes column).15: The same as 16 to 17, except that work is prohibited during regular school hours, unless the child is enrolled in an off-campus education program. 16 to 17: Consent of parent or guardian is only a requirement when work is done during restricted hours. As well, no permits are required. However, the following restrictions apply:

15: The same as 16 to 17, except that work is prohibited during regular school hours, unless the child is enrolled in an off-campus education program. 16 to 17: Consent of parent or guardian is only a requirement when work is done during restricted hours. As well, no permits are required. However, the following restrictions apply:

  • Retail work (defined as selling any beverages, commodities, diesel fuel, food, gasoline, goods, merchandise, natural gas, petroleum, propane) is only allowed between 9 PM and 12 AM with adult supervision.
  • Hospitality work (defined as motels, hotels and any place where overnight accommodation is provided to the public) is only allowed between 9 PM and 12 AM with adult supervision.
  • For any work that is not retail and not hospitality, work is additionally allowed between 12:01 AM and 6:00 AM as long as they receive consent from their parent or guardian and as long as there's adult supervision.


18: Youth employment laws no longer apply.[11]

Disclaimer: The Employment Standards rules below only apply to those who are under 18 years old who are employees. If anyone under 18 years old is self-employed, working as an independent contractor, or is volunteering, no legal minimum working age is set. Casual work, such as babysitting, snow shoveling and lawn cutting fall under this category. Additionally, the same type of work may or may not fall under these rules depending on if the child is classified as a true employee. For example, if an employee is refereeing casually or as a self-employed contractor, there is no legal minimum working age. However, if they are a true employee, then the rules to the left are applied.


There exists a different set of rules if the employee under 18 years old is a student in an approved training course or an integrated learning program.


There also exists different rules if the employee under 18 years old is working on a farm or ranch, in which case they follow the rules of other farm and ranch employees. Those who employ workers under 18 years of age need to both perform hazard assessments and control workplace hazards.


Additionally, all employees under 18 years old are protected under Employment Standards and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation. An artistic endeavour is defined as any work in live performances or the entertainment industry (musical performances and theatre plays), record entertainment (film, radio television and video) and voice recordings (computer and video gaming).[11]

British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest Territories
Nova Scotia
Nunavut
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Yukon
Caribbean Netherlands 15
Cayman Islands 15
Chile 18: Unrestricted
Costa Rica 16: By default
Cuba 18: Unrestricted
Curaçao 15
Dominica 12: No person shall take into his employment or employ in any occupation whatsoever any child; but a child may be employed in the domestic work or agricultural work of a light nature at home by the parents or guardian of the child.
18: (Unrestricted)[12]
Dominican Republic 18: Unrestricted
El Salvador 18: Unrestricted[13]
Children below the age 14 are not allowed to enter the workforce. Minors between the ages of 14 and 18 may work with permission from the Ministry of Labor if their employment is indispensable to either themselves or their family.
Greenland 15
Grenada 16
Guadeloupe 16
Guatemala 18: Unrestricted
Haiti 16: By default
18: Unrestricted
Honduras 18: Unrestricted
Jamaica 16: By default
Martinique 16
Mexico 15: Restricted working hours and the type of work
18: Unrestricted[14]
Montserrat 14
Nicaragua 18: Unrestricted
Panama 18: Unrestricted
Peru 18: Unrestricted
Puerto Rico 16: By default
Saint Barthélemy 13
Saint Kitts and Nevis 16
Saint Lucia 15 [6]
Saint Martin 16
Saint Pierre and Miquelon 14
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 14
Sint Maarten 16
Trinidad and Tobago 16: By default
Turks and Caicos Islands Children younger than age 16 may be employed with the written consent of a parent or guardian.
United States 12 in Illinois, 14 in North Dakota and Nevada

Otherwise many at 16 and a few at 18.

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Asia

More information Country, China ...
Country Legal Working Age
China Under 16: Article 61 states that an organization or individual may recruit a minor under the age of 16 if prescribed by the State.

16: Workers over 16 years old and under 18 years old are not allowed to work at commercial entertainment places, bars, internet service places and any other locations where activities are held that are not appropriate for minors. They are not to work in excessively harmful, heavy or toxic labor environments or any other dangerous operations. They are prohibited from working in any work that endangers their physical and mental health. The consent of parents or other guardians of the minor are required when they are participating in performances, program production and other activities.

18: (Unrestricted)[32]

Hong Kong 13: Subject to restrictions and required to complete Form 3 secondary education.[33]
15: Subject to restrictions for employment in industrial undertakings.[34]
India 14: Restricted working hours and the type of work
21: (Unrestricted)[35]
Indonesia 13: Minimum Employment age.
15: Restricted working hours and the type of work.
18: (Unrestricted)[36]
Iran 15: Minimum employment age
18: Hard Work
21: (Unrestricted)[37]
Israel 14: Minimum employment age
15: Restricted working hours and the type of work
18: (Unrestricted)[38]
Japan Both sexes:
Under 12: Film production and theatrical performance
12: Light work
Under 15: Cannot work during school hours

Male:
15: Restricted occupations and hours of activity
18: (Unrestricted)


Female:
15: With broad restrictions for working hours and the type of work
18: May only participate in underground work if engaged in work specified by ordinance performed underground
20: (Unrestricted)[39]
Chapter 6, Articles 56–62

South Korea Male:
15: Restricted working hours
19: (Unrestricted)

Female:
15: Restricted working hours and the type of work.
18: Some limitations for work in overtly unhealthy conditions.
19: (Unrestricted)[40]
Articles 64 and 70–72 of the labour law implement the minimum age.

Macau 14: Work during summer holidays.
16: Subject to approval of Labour Affairs Bureau after consultation of Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, or after completion of compulsory education.
Malaysia 14: Easy Work.
16: (Unrestricted)[41]
North Korea 16: By default[42]
Philippines 15: (Restricted working hours and the type of work)
18: (Unrestricted)[43]
Singapore 13: Generally, a child must be at least 13 years of age before they can start working. The minimum legal age for working in Singapore is governed by the Employment Act and the Employment (Children and Young Persons) Regulations, and is enforced by the Ministry of Manpower.
15: Young persons above 15 may work in an industrial environment. However, the employer must inform the Commissioner of Labour within 30 days of their employment, and submit a medical certificate certifying their fitness for work.
16: Generally speaking, a person who is above the age of 16 is not a child or a young person, and is considered an adult worker (Unrestricted).[44]
Taiwan 15: A worker aged fifteen years old, shall be considered as a child worker.
16: No child worker and no worker aged sixteen or seventeen years old shall be permitted to do work that is potentially dangerous or hazardous in nature.
18: (Unrestricted)[45]
Vietnam 15: By default
Thailand 15 (with registration to Labour Inspection Officer until 18)[46]
Turkey 13: (Part-time employment; restricted to easy work)
15: (Unrestricted)[47]
United Arab Emirates 15 (with some restrictions) 18 (unrestricted)
Yemen 14: Light work with restricted hours.
15: Industrial work.
18: (Unrestricted)
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Europe

More information Country, Albania ...
Country Legal Working Age
Albania 14: (Easy work performed at school holidays)
16: (Unrestricted)[48]
Andorra 14: (Easy work performed at school holidays; Maximum 6 hours per day, with minimum 1 hours break; Minimum 2 following days of rest per week)
16: (Maximum 8 hours per day, with minimum 1 hours break; Minimum 2 following days of rest per week)
18: (Unrestricted)[49]
Armenia 16: (Unrestricted; No person under the age of 16 is allowed to work in Armenia)[50]
Austria 14: (With many restrictions within a family setting)
15: (With minor restrictions assuming compulsory school years have been finished)
18: Unrestricted[51]
Belarus 14: Easy work with the permission from parents or legal guardians
16: Limited working hours up to 35 hours per week
18: Unrestricted
Belgium 15: (Must have completed 2 years of secondary education; restricted to light work)
16: (only light work)
18: Unrestricted
Bosnia and Herzegovina 15: (Restricted to light work; Restricted working hours)
18: (Unrestricted)[52]
Bulgaria 13: (Only for jobs as film actor or model; Strictly regulated)
15: (Strictly regulated)
16 (Minimum working age; Some occupations prohibited)
18: (Unrestricted)[53]
Croatia 15: (Restricted by the Labour laws)
18: (Unrestricted)[54]
Cyprus 15: (Restricted by the Labour laws)
18: (Unrestricted)
Czech Republic 14: (Only under special circumstances)
15: (Restricted occupations and working hours)
18: (Unrestricted)[55]
Denmark None: (Only for activities in the cultural or artistic field. However, a police authorization must be obtained for these activities in advance.)
13: (Children 13–15 years of age may only perform light work, that is not in the vicinity of machinery. The working time may be on school days and up to 2 hours on other days up to 7 hours. In school-free weeks, the maximum working time must not exceed 35 hours per week.)
15: (Young people up to 18 years may not work in the following areas: with dangerous tools and equipment within hazardous work processes. The working time may not be between 18:00 und 6:00 on weekdays between 14:00 and 6:00 on holidays or Sundays. The maximum weekly working time must not exceed 40 hours.)
18: (Unrestricted)[56]
Estonia 13: A Person aged 13 may work under restrictions and parental permission.
15: Minimum Employment age. Minors under the age of 18 are restricted with working hours and certain occupations.
18: Unrestricted.[57]
Finland 14: Someone aged 14 may practise "light work".
15: Minimum Employment age. Minors under the age of 18 are restricted with working hours and certain occupations.
18: Unrestricted.[58]
France 14: (only for light work, regulated by Code du travail; No working at night; Strict time limitation; Parental permission is needed)
16: (No working at night; Strict time limitation; Parental permission is needed)
18: (Unrestricted)[59]
Germany 13: (with parental permission; and only easy work for example: paper round)
15: (Part-time work with less than 8 hours per day and maximum 40 hours per week; No work on weekends, statutory holidays and at night time or in an imperiling environment). Further restrictions for work break and minimum vacation days.
18: Unrestricted[60]
Hungary 16: (The Hungarian Labour Code allows for the employment of people over 16 years old. Young workers apply a two-year period of protection: at the time of their working time must not exceed 8 hours. per day and forty hours per week. If you work a minimum of 4.5 hrs., They are entitled to 30 minutes. break, nor can they be employed on a night shift.)
18: (Unrestricted)[61]
Iceland 13: (Only safe and easy work. Subject to restrictions on working time related to mandatory schooling.)[62]
16: (Employers have a duty to protect young workers from working in difficult and dangerous conditions in some sectors also apply to restrictions on working time.)
18: (Unrestricted)[63]
Ireland 14: (People aged under 16 years are not allowed to work full-time (full-time). The work of persons between the ages of 14 and 15 years must be obliged to comply with conditions:
• perform light work during the holidays - a person must necessarily have then at least 21 days off work
• work as part of the approved apprenticeship or training program.
• work in the film, when cultural undertakings, in advertising, or in connection with sporting events.)
16: (People aged 16 and 17 years old can only work the hours between 6:00 and 22:00.)
18: (Unrestricted.)[64]
Italy 15: (Restricted working hours and the type of work.)
18: (Unrestricted)[65]
Latvia 15: (People between 15 and 18 years of age may work no more than 7 hours a day and 35 hours per week (including time learning - if they learn). There must they stay at work after hours or work at night. It is also prohibited to employ minors under conditions which may threaten their health, safety and morals. Workers under 18 years of age are entitled to a month's leave, in their case does not apply or trial periods.)
18: (Unrestricted)[66]
Liechtenstein 14: (For light it is possible to hire 14-year-olds - but not longer than 9 hours per week during the school year and 15 hours a week during the holidays.)
15: (People aged over 15 but under 18 may work no more than 40 hours per week.)
18: (Unrestricted)[67]
Lithuania 14: (Under certain conditions it is also possible to employ people aged over 14 years old but under 16 years of age. They have the right to perform easy work - during the school year for no more than two hours during the day and 12 hours a week during the holidays - 7 hours a day and 35 hours per week.)
16: (Persons who have completed 16 years but have not reached the age of majority have no right to work more than 8 hours per day and 36 hours per week.)
18: (Unrestricted)[68]
Luxembourg 16
Malta 16: (Until they reach adulthood under the special protection of the law - are entitled to work up to 8 hours per day and 40 per week (included in is also a time of learning and training). Young worker has no right to do the work between the hours of 22 and 6 am.)
18: (Unrestricted)[69]
Netherlands 13: (The minimum age of employment under the supervision and with no guarantee of a minimum wage.)
15: (The right to the minimum wage.)
16: (Persons over 16 years but less than 18 years, has most of the rights and obligations as workers age. However, you will not be able to work in harmful conditions - including noise, cramped quarters and with toxic substances.)
18: (Unrestricted)[70]
Norway 13: (People aged over 13 but under 15 years of age may be employed only for light work that does not endanger the health, development, and does not interfere with learning.)
15: (Restricted working hours and the type of work.)[71]
18: (Unrestricted)[72]
Poland None: (Cultural and artistic field)
15: (Light work only)
18: (Unrestricted)[73]
Portugal 16: (Restricted working hours and the type of work.)
18: (Unrestricted)[74]
Romania 15: (Restricted)

16: (Unrestricted)[75]

Russia None: (Artistic field only. Must have parental permission. Restricted working hours and shortened working week, must not interfere with school education or violate public morality)

14: (Light work only. Must have parental permission. Restricted working hours and shortened working week, must not interfere with school education)
16: (Light work only. Full school education required. Restricted working hours)
18: Unrestricted

Serbia 16: By default
Spain None: Artistic activities with parental permission and a specific authorization of the labor department.
16: Parental permission is required.
18: Unrestricted
Sweden None: (Only artistic field and some light risk free jobs. Must have parent permission. Restricted working hours and shortened working week.)

13: (Light work only. Must have parent permission. Restricted working hours and shortened working week.)
16: (Light work only. Restricted working hours)
18: (Unrestricted)[76]

 Switzerland Age 13: (Must have parental permission; only easy work)
  • During school weeks: Maximum 4 hours per day; and 9 hours per week.
  • During non-school weeks: Maximum 8 hours per day; and 40 hours per week.

Age 15: (Must have parental permission)

  • Maximum 9 hours per day; and 45–50 hours per week. Working maximum until 8 p.m.

Age 16: Minimum age to serve someone in restaurants, café or hotels. Minimum age to work in a circus or cinema.

  • Working maximum until 10 p.m.

Age 18: Unrestricted (and the minimum age to work in: Bars, Discos, Dancinghalls and Nightclubs)[77]

United Kingdom
None: (Artistic fields such as television, theatre and modelling)

Age 14: Part-time [78]

Age 16: Full-time [78]

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Oceania

More information Country, Further notes ...
Country Legal Working Age Further notes
Australia Varies by state and territory.
13 (Queensland & Victoria; 11 when delivering newspapers, none for entertainment industries)

15 (Western Australia; most jobs, variations and restrictions apply for family businesses, entertainers/models, and newspaper delivery)[79]
No minimum working age (New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory)[80]

New Zealand 14: Babysitting[81]
15: Limited vehicle work and hazardous workplaces (logging, construction, heavy lifting, dangerous goods)[81]
16: Unrestricted working hours[81]
20: Unrestricted[81][82]
While there is no minimum age of work in New Zealand,[83] there are multiple minimum ages of work for jobs with higher risk.[83]
Papua New Guinea 16
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References

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