National Child Employment Awareness Month - April

Focusing on protecting children’s rights in the workplace

Throughout the month of April, Birmingham City Council is reminding businesses that employ children aged between 13 and 16 years old that they need permits to comply with employment laws.

These permits are free of charge from the Local Authority where the child works and will legally permit children between 13 and 16 years old to undertake part-time work.

The welfare of children is paramount and if they are taking part in part-time work opportunities, we need to ensure that their needs are being met by employers and that children who do work are doing so safely.

What the Law states

  • No child aged below 13 is allowed to work in England unless it relates to Entertainment and Performance projects.
  • No child may be employed before 7am or after 7pm on any day.
  • No child may work for more than 4 hours without a break of at least 1 hour.
  • No child can work for more than 2 hours on a Sunday between the hours of 7am and 7pm.

Teenagers aged between 13 and 16 years old can take part in light work in a number of different areas including:

  • shop work
  • office work
  • working in cafes, restaurants
  • car washing
  • riding stables

During term time

  • No child can be employed for more than 12 hours per week.
  • There are also other guidelines for the number of weekends and hours during holiday times that children can work.

National Awareness Campaign - resources

Activity sheets and posters are available upon request which you can use in your schools, community centres, libraries etc.

To request activity sheets or posters to display, contact the Child Employment Team:

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