Employing young workers

What it means

Employing young workers is governed by special rules for employees under 18. The Labour Code gives them extra protection: shorter weekly working time, a ban on overtime and night work, and a ban on work that would endanger their health, safety or healthy development.

A young person may generally work from the age of 15 after completing compulsory schooling. Younger children may only do light work, for example in cultural or artistic activities, and only with the consent of the labour inspectorate, which assesses the nature and extent of the work.

Before starting work, a young person must undergo a preventive medical check confirming fitness for the job. Checks are repeated during employment to detect early whether the work is harming their health.

How it works in practice

Young people most often work under a student work agreement, especially in summer. Even under such agreements, working time limits and bans on certain work apply, and the employer must observe them regardless of the form of the relationship.

The employer must keep a list of young employees, assign them only suitable work and ensure that the work does not interfere with schooling. When contracting with someone under 18, it is advisable to obtain the view of their legal guardian as well.

When drawing up shift schedules, the shorter working time of young workers, which is even lower for those under 16, and mandatory breaks must be taken into account. These limits should be set up in the payroll software to avoid unintentional breaches.

What to watch out for

Breaking the rules on young workers, for example night work, overtime or work in an unsuitable environment, can lead to heavy fines from the labour inspectorate. If a young worker is injured doing prohibited work, the employer bears increased liability.

Employing young workers also requires attention to contribution and tax rules, which differ for student agreements compared with regular employment. It is worth checking the current limits and exemptions to avoid payroll errors.