Employment of children

Legislation:

The children and young persons act 1933 (as amended by the Education Act 1944)
Shropshire County Council bye-laws adopted 1999.

It is a requirement of the Employment of Children Regulations that all young persons up to, and including the minimum school leaving age, must be registered for employment with the Local Education Authority.

The Council's Education Welfare Service has a statutory duty to regulate, supervise and enforce legislation with respect to all aspects of the employment of children.

These rules apply to all children of compulsory school age, up until the end of year 11. They do not end as soon as the child is 16. The compulsory school leaving date is the last Friday in June.

They apply to all work done for a commercial business, including the parents own business, whether or not the child is paid.

No child under the age of 13 may be employed.

At 13 or over a child may be employed in light work only in one or more of the following categories:

• agricultural of horticultural work
• delivery of newspapers, journals and other printed material, and collecting payment for same
• shop work, including shelf stacking
• hairdressing salons
• office work
• car washing by hand in a private residential setting
• in a cafe or restaurant (serving meals only, not preparing meals or serving alcoholic drinks)
• in riding stables
• domestic work in hotels and other establishments offering accommodation

No child of any age may be employed:

• in a cinema, theatre, discotheque, dance hall or night club
• to sell or deliver alcohol, except in sealed containers
• to deliver milk
• to deliver fuel oils
• in a commercial kitchen (e.g. fish and chip shop, washing up dishes)
• to collect or sort refuse
• in any work which is more than three metres above ground/floor level
• in employment involving harmful exposure to physical, biological or chemical agents (e.g. petrol station)
• to collect money or to sell or canvass door to door, except either under the supervision of an adult, or where payment is collected for the delivery of newspapers and journals
• to work involving exposure to adult material or in situations which are for this reason otherwise unsuitable for children (e.g. video shop)
• in telephone sales
• in any slaughterhouse or in that part of any butcher's shop
• as an attendant or assistant in a fairground or amusement arcade
• in the personal care of residents of any residential care home or nursing home unless under the supervision of a responsible adult

An application form (Form EC1) signed by the employer and parent should be completed and sent to the contact address on this page, when a child starts work.

Under health and safety legislation the employer is required to have undertaken a risk assessment in respect of all children he/she wishes to employ and is responsible for ensuring the child's safety and well being at all times when the child is being employed.

Note: This document is not a complete statement of the law, only a summary.

To obtain EC1 forms and more information on the employment of children contact the Child Employment Officer on 01952 385223.