Child employment licence - Licences and permissions

Any child of 13 years or older and still of compulsory school age is entitled to work part-time but must hold a valid licence to do so. Children under the age of 13 may not have jobs.

It is the responsibility of the employer (including a family business) to apply for the licence and if a child is working without a licence, the employer is breaking the law and   not be insured against any damage or injuries caused or incurred by the child. The employer also risks legal action being taken against them.

The legal minimum age of employment is 13 years, and the permit requirement applies until a child ceases to be of compulsory school age on the last Friday in June of the school year in which they have their sixteenth birthday.

A child can be stopped from working if:

• Their school attendance suffers
• Their schoolwork suffers
• They are regularly late for school
• Their health suffers or is at risk of suffering
• They are put at risk of harm or injury

Working hours

A child can work after 7am and before 7pm, but there are restrictions as per the table below. If a child works more than four hours, they are required to have a minimum one-hour break before they resume their employment. This cannot be taken as smaller breaks.

Children 13-14 years  - permitted working hours

Children aged 15-16 years permitted working hours

Jobs and places children cannot be employed to work  

Jobs a child cannot do: (This is not a complete list)

• Sell alcohol, cigarettes, or medicine
• Anything connected to gambling
• Delivery of milk
• Door-to-door sales
• Collection of money
• Anything involving dangerous machines or chemicals
• Sorting of rags, rubbish, or refuse
• Telephone sales
• At a fairground or amusement arcade
• Cleaning windows more than 3 meters above the ground
• Work involving exposure to adult content.
• Any work that may be described as dangerous or cause harm or injury

Places a child cannot work: (This is not a complete list)

• Nightclub
• Amusement arcade or fairground
• Warehouse or factory
• Slaughterhouse, abattoir, or butcher’s
• Commercial kitchen
• In the street, a theatre, cinema, or disco unless you are licensed to perform there
• Residential care or nursing home providing personal care
• Chemist dispensing drugs and medicines

The following list are jobs a child, aged 13 years and over can do (this is not a complete list):

• Light work on a farm (agricultural or horticultural work)
• Delivery of newspapers, journals, leaflets (this should not include collecting money)
• Shop work
• Hairdressing salons (shampooing, sweeping up)
• A waitress or waiter in a cafe or restaurant
• Office work (not within a factory environment)

Child employment on GOV.UK

Apply for a licence

Factsheet

Herefordshire Council is the Data Controller under data protection law and will use the information you provide on this form in order to provide you with the licence you apply for. The legal basis for processing this data is your consent to do so. You can withdraw your consent at any time by notifying us, however this will result in a licence not being provided or withdrawn. Our contact details to do so, or for any other queries, Children's Enforcement Officer, Plough Lane, Hereford HR4 0LE.

We will keep your data for two years after the licence ends. Your information will not be shared further, unless it is necessary to do so in cases such as preventing or detecting crime. Individuals have a number of rights under data protection law, including the right to request their information. You also have a right to make a complaint about our handling of your personal data to the Information Commissioner's Office.

• Email: childrenslicencing@herefordshire.gov.uk
• EHTS Call centre: 01432 261761