The short answer is sometimes. Across the UK the general starting age for part-time work is 14, but some councils allow light work from 13 through their own bylaws. This guide sets out the rules for every age from 13 to 17 in one place, so teenagers and parents can check what is allowed before anyone starts work.
Last reviewed November 2026. Rules come from national law and your local council's bylaws, so always check your council's child employment page for local details.
Minimum ages
- Under 13: no paid employment, apart from licensed work in TV, theatre or modelling.
- 13: light work only, and only where your council's bylaws allow it.
- 14: light part-time work in most areas.
- 15 to school leaving age: the same light work, with longer hours.
- 16 and 17, past the school leaving date: most jobs, with young worker protections.
- 18: adult rules apply.
Hours for school-age children
Rules for every day
- No work during school hours.
- No work before 7am or after 7pm.
- No more than an hour before school, unless local bylaws allow more.
- A break of at least an hour after 4 hours of work.
- At least 2 weeks off work during the school holidays each year.
Term time
- Up to 2 hours on a school day and on a Sunday.
- Up to 5 hours on a Saturday for 13 and 14 year olds, and up to 8 hours for 15 and 16 year olds.
- A maximum of 12 hours a week.
School holidays
- 13 and 14 year olds: up to 5 hours a day on weekdays and Saturdays, 2 hours on a Sunday and 25 hours a week.
- 15 and 16 year olds: up to 8 hours a day on weekdays and Saturdays, 2 hours on a Sunday and 35 hours a week.
Jobs children cannot do
School-age children can only do light work that does not harm their health, wellbeing or education. That rules out factories and industrial sites, building sites, pubs and betting shops, commercial kitchens, and anything involving dangerous machinery or chemicals. Your council's bylaws list further banned jobs, and many give a narrower list of the jobs a 13 year old may do, typically paper rounds, shop work, light garden work, office work, stables and café work away from the kitchen.
Work permits
Most councils require a business that employs a school-age child to apply for a child employment permit, from the council where the work happens rather than where the child lives. Permits are free, the employer is responsible for getting one, and without one the employer may not be insured if the child has an accident. Work experience arranged by a school does not need a permit. Read child work permits in the UK for the detail.
Pay
Children below school leaving age are not entitled to the National Minimum Wage. From April 2026, workers aged 16 and 17 who are past the school leaving date must be paid at least £8.00 an hour, and apprentices in their first year at least £8.00 too. More in minimum wage for 16 and 17 year olds.
When does school age end?
In England you can leave school on the last Friday in June of the school year in which you turn 16, usually at the end of Year 11, but you must then stay in some form of education or training until 18, which can be part-time alongside work. Leaving dates and education rules are different in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Rules for 16 and 17 year olds
Once past the school leaving date, young workers can usually work up to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. They must have 12 hours' rest between working days, 2 days off each week and a 30-minute break if they work more than 4.5 hours. Employers must pay at least the minimum wage, and may need to put them through PAYE.
What about odd jobs for neighbours?
Councils focus on businesses employing children, so occasional, informal jobs such as washing a neighbour's car are treated differently in practice from a regular job in a shop. The same principles still make sense though, so keep to light work, stay within the hours above and make sure a parent knows where you are. KidsHustle only allows jobs between 7am and 7pm, and a parent approves every job before a teen applies.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Child employment
- GOV.UK: Local council rules for child employment permits
- GOV.UK: Minimum wage rates for 2026
Find work that fits the rules
Every job on KidsHustle sits between 7am and 7pm, is posted by an ID-verified adult and needs a parent's approval before a teen can apply. Download KidsHustle, or read how to make money as a teenager in the UK.