Youth Employment

Checklist & Process Guide For Child Employment

The Council needs to be aware of all children who are of school age (13-16 year olds) and are employed. Employment is any type of paid or voluntary work carried out for any person, organisation or business that can be deemed to be the employer of the child. 

If the employer doesn’t have a child work permit they can be fined up to £1,000. 

Please visit the PCC Website for the most up-to-date information on Child Employment.

Suitable Work

The work must be appropriate for the child’s age and not negatively impact their health or education. 

  • agricultural or horticultural work 
  • newspaper and printed material delivery including collecting money 
  • shop work including shelf stacking 
  • hairdressing salons 
  • office work 
  • riding stables 
  • waitressing 
  • domestic work in hotels and other buildings offering accommodation. 
  • delivering fuel oils 
  • street trading 
  • pub and bar work 
  • cleaning/operating machinery 
  • collecting money or selling/canvassing door to door unless there is adult supervision 
  • delivery of milk 
  • collecting or sorting refuse 
  • sale of alcohol, except in sealed containers 
  • work in a slaughterhouse, or in the preparation of meat or fish for sale 
  • telephone sales 
  • activities connected with the use of firearms 
  • personal care of residents in care homes unless there is adult supervision 
  • any work which is more than 3 metres above ground level 
  • anything involving harmful exposure to physical, biological or chemical agents 
  • work involving exposure to adult material or in situations which are for this reason unsuitable for children 
  • commercial kitchens 
  • fairground and amusement arcades 
  • building sites 
  • gambling clubs 
  • work in a cinema, theatre, discotheque, dance hall or nightclub, except in connection with performance given entirely by children 
  • markets (unless employed and directly supervised by a child’s parent in connection with their retail business). 

Gov.uk has more information about restrictions on child employment.

The employer will need: 

  • To conduct a full risk assessment specific to the risk for school age children.  
    • Download a template Risk Assessment document from Portsmouth City Council here.
  • To also have health and safety policy (specific to school age children).
  • To have a child safeguarding policy and a named safeguarding individual who has completed child safeguarding training for employers. 

The employer must have a Child Work Permit to employ a child, 13-16 year olds. The work permit shows that the child’s employment has been registered and that their employment is legal. Children who are over 16 and still in year 11 at school also need a permit. Work experience does not require a child work permit. 

How to apply: 

Apply directly for an employer permit through the PCC Website. The person employing the child needs to apply. There are two parts to the application: 

  1. The employer can apply online for a child work permit here.
  2. The young person’s parent/carer will get an email to authorise the application.

Once each part is complete, the licensing team will review the application. 

The permit will be issued to the employer by email, with the parent/carer copied in. 

If the organisation has not employed a child before, an Initial inspection must be carried out by the Portsmouth City Council Licensing Team. 

Once a permit is issued, if employment changes, tell the licensing team.

Advice from Lisa Gibbs, Director, Philip Gibbs Insurance Brokers – lisa.gibbs@pgib.co.uk 

Insurance policies require the business to comply with all laws, local byelaws, regulations, etc. So first check that the type of work the young worker will carry out, their hours, breaks, permissions, etc, are compliant. 

Speak to your insurance broker/company about Employers’ Liability insurance. This is usually compulsory, even if you only employ one worker, they are part time, or they are unpaid/work experience. 

If you already have Employers’ Liability insurance, still speak to your insurance broker/company to tell them you intend to take on a young worker. They will likely want to know the type of work they will be doing, the level of supervision provided, and that you have carried out a suitable risk assessment, before they confirm cover. 

Working Hours

Children can only work a set number of hours. It depends on what day of the week it is and whether it is during school term or not.  

Children are not allowed to work before 7am or after 7pm or during the school day. 

Portsmouth School term dates: School term dates – Portsmouth City Council 

Permitted Working Hours: 

Type of Day 

Maximum Hours Per Day (Age 13 – 14) 

Maximum Hours Per Day (Age 15+) 

School day 

2 hours per day. Either, 

  • 1 hour before school and 1 hour after school 
  • Or 2 hours after school 

2 hours per day. Either, 

  • 1 hour before school and 1 hour after school 
  • Or 2 hours after school 

Saturday 

5 hours only 

8 hours only 

Sunday 

2 hours only 

2 hours only 

School holiday 

5 hours a day (except Sunday) 

8 hours a day (except Sunday) 


Maximum Hours Per Week 

Time 

Maximum Hours Per Week (Age 13 – 14) 

Maximum Hours Per Week (Age 15+) 

Term time 

12 hours maximum 

12 hours maximum 

School holiday 

25 hours maximum 

35 hours maximum 


Breaks 

Children must have: 

  • a break of at least 1 hour after 4 hours work 
  • a 2-week break from work during the school holidays. 

Please visit the PCC Website for details about byelaws on Child Employment.