This is a plain-English summary of the national rules, checked in August 2026. Local councils set their own byelaws and some are stricter, so always check with the council where the work would happen. The official guidance lives at GOV.UK: child employment.
The minimum age
In most of the UK you can start doing paid, employed work at 13, and only in "light work" that your local council allows. Some councils permit a slightly different range of jobs.
Under 13, employed work is not allowed at all, with one exception: performance work such as television, film, theatre, modelling and some sport. That needs a performance licence arranged through the council, not an ordinary job.
None of this stops you doing jobs for family and neighbours — washing a car, walking a dog, helping a grandparent. That is not employment in the legal sense. The rules bite when a business employs you.
The employment permit
If a business employs you before you turn 16, you need an employment permit from the education department of the local council. The employer normally applies, and a parent and often the school have to agree. It is not a formality — it is how the council checks that the job is suitable and is not going to interfere with your education. Working without one puts the employer in the wrong, not you.
Hours you are allowed to work
| Age | School day | Saturday | Sunday | Weekly maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13–14 | 2 hours | 5 hours | 2 hours | 12 hours |
| 15–16 | 2 hours | 8 hours | 2 hours | 12 hours |
| Age | Weekday or Saturday | Sunday | Weekly maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13–14 | 5 hours | 2 hours | 25 hours |
| 15–16 | 8 hours | 2 hours | 35 hours |
The other restrictions
- No work before 7am or after 7pm, on any day.
- No work during school hours on a school day.
- No more than one hour before school, and only where local byelaws allow it at all.
- A one-hour break after four hours of work.
- At least two consecutive weeks free of work during the school holidays each year.
- No work in factories or on industrial sites, other than arranged work experience.
- Nothing that could harm your health, wellbeing or education. This is a catch-all and it is taken seriously.
Pay
The National Minimum Wage does not apply to workers below school leaving age, so there is no legal minimum for a 13, 14 or 15-year-old. That makes it especially important to agree the rate before you start, in writing if you can. Once you are above compulsory school age, minimum wage rates begin to apply and rise with age.
Questions worth asking before you say yes
- Have you applied for my employment permit?
- Exactly what will I be paid, and when?
- What hours, on which days — and does that fit the limits above?
- Who do I tell if I am ill or something goes wrong?
An employer who is vague about the permit is an employer who has not read the rules, and that is usually a sign of how the rest of the job will go.
Work experience and volunteering
School-arranged work experience runs under separate arrangements and can include places ordinary employment cannot. Volunteering for a charity is not employment either, though sensible organisations still apply similar limits on hours and supervision.
Questions people ask
- What age can you legally work in the UK?
- 13 in most areas, and only in light work approved by your local council. Under 13, the only exception is licensed performance work such as television, theatre or modelling.
- How many hours can a 14 year old work in the UK?
- In term time, up to 2 hours on a school day or Sunday and 5 hours on a Saturday, capped at 12 hours a week. In school holidays, up to 5 hours on weekdays and Saturdays and 2 on Sundays, capped at 25 hours a week.
- Do you need a permit to work under 16 in the UK?
- Yes. Employment by a business before you turn 16 requires a permit from the local council's education department. The employer normally applies, with agreement from a parent and often the school.
- Does the minimum wage apply to under-16s?
- No. The National Minimum Wage does not apply below school leaving age, so there is no legal minimum rate for a 13, 14 or 15-year-old. Agree your rate clearly before starting.
- Can a 12 year old have a paper round?
- Not as employed work — 13 is the minimum age in most of the UK, and a council permit is required. Informal jobs for family and neighbours are a different matter and are not restricted in the same way.