Employer's responsibilities when employing children
Employers are responsible for ensuring any child of school age they employ has a valid work permit or ‘employment card’ issued by us.
Work permits
Employers must apply for a work permit within 7 days of the child starting work.
In the workplace
Employers are responsible for the child’s welfare and their health and safety at work. They must make sure the children they employ have the proper clothes and shoes needed to do their jobs.
Employers must complete a risk assessment of the work the child will be doing and let their parents know the results.
They must also have relevant insurance cover in place.
We can take legal action against an employer if they:
- don't get a work permit for all the children of school age that they employ
- employ children in a job or place of work they’re not allowed to work in
- employ children to work outside the hours allowed