You can leave school on the last Friday in June if you will be 16 by the end of the summer holidays. However, until you are 18 you must stay in full-time education, for example at a college, or start an apprenticeship.

A person in the workplace who has reached the school leaving age of 16 but is under 18 is legally classed as a ‘young worker’.

If this applies to you, you should receive at least the National Minimum/Living Wage of £7.55 an hour as a minimum. From April 2026, this amount will go up to £8.00 an hour.

You are still liable to pay tax once you earn at least the threshold amount of £12,570.00 (2025/6 tax year).

What Work Can I Do?

You should not be asked to do any work which you are not mentally or physically able to do or which might, due to extreme cold, heat or vibration be a risk to your health.

Local bylaws should be checked as to what jobs you can do if you are working in hospitality. Usually you can serve alcohol in a bar or restaurant but check that this is not restricted to drinks in bottles or cans.

You can’t do work where you may come into contact with radiation, toxic material or chemicals unless it is part of your training, and your employer keeps you as safe as possible and supervised by an experienced person.

What Hours Can I Work?

The number of hours which you can work is set out in the Working Time Regulations 1998.

Legally, young workers must not work more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week. As a minimum they must receive; a 30-minute break if their working day is longer than 4.5 hours; 12 hours’ rest in any 24-hour period in which they work; and 48 hours’ (2 days) rest taken  consecutively, each week or at least 36 hours’ continuous rest, with the remaining 12 hours taken as soon as possible afterwards (but only if there is a good business reason why the 2 days’ rest is not possible).

There is a ‘restricted period’ in which young workers may not work. This is between 10pm and 6am (if not specified in their contract) or 11pm and 7am (if the contract allows them to work after 10pm). However, during these times there must be supervision by one or more adult worker and necessary rest breaks must be taken. Young workers can work until midnight or from 4am in certain industries, such as agriculture, sporting, artistic, cultural or advertising activities, but this is restricted to a situation where there is no adult worker available and it will not have a detrimental effect on the young worker’s training or education.

It is against the law for anyone under 18 to work between the hours of midnight and 4am no matter what job they do.

Do I Get Time Off?

You will accrue the same amount of paid holiday as adults, and this should be set out in your contract of employment.

 

 

I’m Not 16 Yet and Still in School – Can I work?

You might want to earn some extra cash so are looking for a part-time job.

There are various restrictions on what you can do and when you can work. At this age you will be classed as being in ‘child employment’.

What Work Can I Do?

There are restrictions in place as to what work children are allowed to do.

You cannot work:

• in a factory (unless part of work experience)
• on an industrial site (unless part of work experience)
• during school hours
• before 7 am or after 7pm
• for more than 4 hours without a break of at least 1 hour
• for more than one hour before school (however local bylaws should be checked)
• in any role that may be harmful to:
  • health
  • well-being
  • education

There must be an employment permit in place which has been issued by the education department if this is required under any bylaws.

In each calendar year you must have a consecutive 2 week break during the school holidays from any work that you do.

Term Time

‘Children’ can only work for a maximum of 12 hours per week and the following additional restrictions apply:

• You can only work for a maximum of 2 hours on a Sunday or school day.
• You can only work for 5 hours’ maximum on a Saturday for 14 year olds or 8 hours’ maximum on a Saturday for 15 – 16 year olds.

School Holidays

Those aged 14 can only work for a maximum of 25 hours per week subject to:

• 5 hours maximum on Saturdays and weekdays
• 2 hours maximum on a Sunday

15 – 16 year olds can only work for a maximum of 35 hours per week subject to:

• 8 hours maximum on Saturdays and weekdays
• 2 hours maximum on a Sunday

Children in employment are still liable to pay tax but usually do not earn enough to reach the threshold amount of £12,570.00 per annum in a part-time job.