Legal working age

The legal working age is the minimum age required by law for a person to work, in each country or jurisdiction.

Some types of labor are commonly prohibited even for those above the working age, if they have not reached yet the age of majority. Activities that are dangerous, harmful to the health or that may affect the morals of minors fall into this category.

North America

Country Legal Working Age
 Anguilla
 Antigua and Barbuda 14: (Restricted working hours)
18: (Unrestricted)[1]
 Aruba
 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.)
18: (Unrestricted)[2]
 Barbados 16: (Employment during school hours is prohibited; Night work is prohibited; Industrial work is prohibited)
18: (Unrestricted)[3]
 Belize
 Bermuda
 British Virgin Islands
 Canada
 Caribbean Netherlands
 Cayman Islands
 Costa Rica
 Cuba
 Curaçao
 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)[15]
 Dominican Republic
 El Salvador 18: (Unrestricted)[16]
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
 Grenada
 Guadeloupe
 Guatemala
 Haiti
 Honduras
 Jamaica
 Martinique
 Mexico
 Montserrat
 Nicaragua
 Panama
 Puerto Rico
 Saint Barthélemy
 Saint Kitts and Nevis
 Saint Lucia
 Saint Martin
 Saint Pierre and Miquelon
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
 Sint Maarten
 Trinidad and Tobago 14
 Turks and Caicos Islands
 United States

Europe

Country Legal Working Age
 Albania 14:(Easy work performed at school holidays)
16: (Unrestricted)[34]
 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)[35]
 Armenia 16: (Unrestricted; No person under the age of 16 is allowed to work in Armenia)[36]
 Austria 15: (The minimum age to be employed is 15, with some exceptions)
18: (Unrestricted)[37]
 Belarus 18
 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)[38]
 Bulgaria 13: (Only for jobs as film actor or model; Strictly regulated)
15: (Strictly regulated)
16 (Minimum working age; Some occupations prohibited)
18: (Unrestricted)[39]
 Croatia 15: (Restricted by the Labour laws)
18: (Unrestricted)[40]
 Cyprus 15: (Restricted by the Labour laws)
18: (Unrestricted)
 Czech Republic 14: (Only under special circumstances)
15: (Restricted occupations and working hours)
18: (Unrestricted)[41]
 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 clock on weekdays between 14.00 und 6.00 clock on holidays or Sundays. The maximum weekly working time must not exceed 40 hours.)
18: (Unrestricted)[42]
 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.[43]

 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.[44]

 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)[45]
 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[46]
 Italy 16: (The age at which Italians leave school and are permitted to work under normal legislation)
 Poland 16
 Portugal 16/18: (Civil service) [47]
 Serbia 18
 United Kingdom 16: (For full-time work and national working age to be able to claim legal minimum wage)
18: (To work at a licensed premises that primarily sells alcoholic bavereages such as pubs, bars and night clubs)[48]
 Ireland 14: (For part-time work)
18: (For full-time work)
18: (To work at a licensed premises that primarily sells alcoholic bavereages such as pubs, bars and night clubs)
 Spain 16: (Must have parental permission)
18: Unrestricted
  Switzerland Age 13: (Must have parental permission; only easy work)
  • During school weeks: Maximum 3 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)[49]

Other

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Country Legal Working Age
 New Zealand 16: (Restricted working hours)
18: For Full Time Work
20: No Restrictions[50]

See also

References

  1. Labour Code Act DIVISION E: Women, Young Persons and Children (Employment) (Antigua and Barbuda)
  2. Employment Act, 2001 PART X - CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS (Bahamas).
  3. Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act PART III: Employment of young persons (Barbados)
  4. Employment Standards (Alberta)
  5. General Employment of Young People Factsheet (British Columbia)
  6. Employment Standards > Young Employees (Manitoba)
  7. Employment of Children (New Brunswick)
  8. Employment of Children (Newfoundland and Labrador)
  9. Employment of Children (Nova Scotia)
  10. Employment Standards Act, 2000 (Ontario)
  11. Employment Standards (Prince Edward Island)
  12. Work performed by children (Quebec)
  13. Labour Relations and Workplace Safety (Saskatchewan)
  14. Employment Standards (Yukon)
  15. EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN (PROHIBITION) ACT Prohibition of employment of a child. (Dominica)
  16. Encyclopedia of the Nations
  17. 17.0 17.1 The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended 29 U.S.C. 201, et seq: Sec. 213(d)
  18. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended 29 U.S.C. 201, et seq: Sec. 213(c)(1)(c); Sec. 213(c)(3);
  19. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended 29 U.S.C. 201, et seq: Sec. 213(c)(2); Sec. 213(5); Sec. 213(6)
  20. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended 29 U.S.C. 201, et seq: Sec. 213(c)(5)(B)(ii); Sec. 213(c)(5)(B)(iv)(III); Sec. 213(c)(5)(C)(i):(I),(II); Sec. 213(c)(7)(A)(ii)(II)
  21. Alabama Child Labor Act Alabama Department of Labor, Montgomery 2009. Retrieved on 25.12.2014.
  22. Alabama Code - Section 25-8-32 Retrieved on 25.12.2014.
  23. Summary of Alaska Child Labor Law
  24. Arizona Revised Statutes: Article 3 Youth Employment
  25. CHILD LABOR LAWS (Arkansas Department of Labor). Retrieved on 25.12.2014.
  26. CALIFORNIA CHILD LABOR LAWS (California Department of Labor). Retrieved 25.12.2014.
  27. COLORADO YOUTH EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY ACT, TITLE 8, ARTICLE 12, CRS (Colorado Department of Labor and Employment Division of Labor). Retrieved 25.12.2014.
  28. Time & Hour Restrictions For 16 & 17 Year-Old Minors (By Industry) (Connecticut)
  29. Connecticut General Statutes for the Connecticut Department of Labor (Connecticut Department of Labor). Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  30. Delaware Code TITLE 19 - Labor General Provisions - CHAPTER 5. CHILD LABOR (Delaware Delaware Code Online). Retrieved 25.12.2014.
  31. The State of Florida and the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) (Florida Department of Labor). Retrieved 25.12.2014.
  32. Child Labor (Hawaii Department of Labor). Retrieved 25.12.2014.
  33. Neni 98 - Mosha minimale. Minimum working age in Albania.
  34. Llei 8/2003, del 12 de juny, sobre el contracte de treball.. Minimum working age in Andorra.
  35. ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆԻ ՀԱՆՐԱՊԵՏՈՒԹՅԱՆ ՀԱՅՏԱՐԱՐՈՒԹՅՈՒՆԸ «ՆՎԱԶԱԳՈՒՅՆ ՏԱՐԻՔԻ ՄԱՍԻՆ» ԿՈՆՎԵՆՑԻԱՅԻ ՎԵՐԱԲԵՐՅԱԼ. Minimum working age in Armenia.
  36. Begriff "Arbeit" im Arbeitsrecht. Minimum working age in Austria.
  37. ZAKON O RADU Minimum working age in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  38. Protection of minors (EU). Minimum working age in Bulgaria.
  39. Zakon o radu Minimum working age in Croatia.
  40. zákon c. 65/1965 Minimum working age in Czech Republic (Labour law).
  41. Bekendtgørelse om unges arbejde Minimum working age in Denmark (Labour law).
  42. Töölepingu seadus § 7. Töölepingu sõlmimine alaealisega The Employment Contracts Act § 7 Conclusion of an employment contract with a minor (Estonia).
  43. Nuori työntekijä: Alle 15-vuotiaan töihinotto Employement laws (Finland).
  44. Code du travail
  45. Idade Mínima de Admissão ao Emprego
  46. WorkSmart from the TUC
  47. Jugendarbeitsschutz - Schweizer Eidgenossenschaft Publication of the "Staatssekretariat für Wirtschaft (SECO)" (State secretary of economy) and "Eidgenössisches Departement für Wirtschaft, Bildung und Forschung (WBF)" (Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research).
  48. New Zealand Department of Labour