Having a part-time job when you're at school or college can be a great thing to get involved with.  Not only will it give you experience of the world of employment, it will also swell the bank balance a bit which is always to be welcomed!

Working when you're under 18 can be more complicated than you might think though.  There are many different laws in place to protect young people from being over worked, so it pays to have a bit of knowledge about these rules before you set out in search of that job.

The law states that in England and Wales, no one under the age of 14 is allowed to work at all.  There are exceptions to this though, which state that under 14s may take part in the following forms of work: taking part in sport, advertising, modelling, working in film, plays or television, odd jobs for parents, neighbours or relatives, and babysitting.

Nobody under the school leaving age is allowed to be employed in any work that may be harmful to the development, health or safety of that person.  Work is not allowed to affect school attendance. School children cannot work during school hours, for more than two hours on any school day, for more than 12 hours in a school week or 25 hours in a non-school week, for more than two hours on a Sunday, before 7am or after 7pm, for more than four hours without a break of at least an hour.  You must also ensure that you have two consecutive weeks holiday from school.

Confused?  Don't be, it sounds like it's a minefield but it's not so difficult really.  Employers should know these rules anyway and have to make sure they stick by them. 

Babysitting is a job that many young people do for friends or relatives.  According to the law, this is absolutely fine and there's no minimum age at which you're allowed to look after children.  The parents or guardians of the children have to be confident in your abilities to look after their kids though - if any harm comes to them while you're in charge it's the parents who can get in trouble with the law.

There is a different set of laws covering those aged over the school leaving age but under 18.  If you're in this age bracket, you are allowed to work up to 8 hours a day, and 40 hour per week.  You musn't work any more than this though.  You must also have at least 12 hours rest between each working day, plus at least two days rest per week (for example Saturday and Sunday).  You must make sure you take a 30 minute break for every four and a half hours you work. 

Remember, it's the employer that needs to stick to these laws and make sure the work you do complies.  Don't worry if you find all these rules and regulations a little baffling.  If you need to speak to someone about these rules try calling Hyndburn Citizen's Advice on 01254 394210.