Child Employment Rules under the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

6th January 2026

The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill introduces a modernised framework for the employment of children in the UK, replacing older bylaws and statutory provisions with a new statutory regime.

Its aim is to safeguard children's health, education and development while allowing them to take on appropriate light work.

These rules apply to children who are under compulsory school age, which continues until the last Friday in June of the school year in which the child turns 16.

England (and Wales) - Employment of Children

In England, Clause 26 of the Bill reforms the existing provisions in the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 to create clearer statutory rules on when children can work and under what conditions.

Minimum Age and Type of Work

A fundamental threshold in the Bill is that a child may not be employed to work while under the age of 14. This prohibition can be modified by regulations allowing children aged 13 to do specified light work — for example, typical part-time tasks such as delivering newspapers or similar activities that are not harmful.

All work must qualify as "light work", defined as work that is not likely to be harmful to the safety, health, development or education of the child.

Hours and Timing Restrictions

The Bill retains and expands existing limits on when and how long children may work:

Work cannot occur before 7 a.m. or after 8 p.m. on any day.

On days when the child is required to attend school:

Work is allowed for no more than 1 hour before school starts.

Work may not occur during school hours.

A child cannot work more than 2 hours in total that day.

Where school attendance is required within a week, work may not exceed 12 hours.

On non-school days, maximum limits vary by age:

Up to 8 hours per day generally.

For those under 15, up to 5 hours per day.

Weekly caps outside school attendance are set at 35 hours or 25 hours for under-15s when not required in school.

There must be a break of at least one hour in any working day exceeding four hours.

Additionally, a child's employment may only continue if the employer is satisfied the child has had (or could still have) at least two consecutive weeks without work during school holidays.

Permits and Regulation

Every child must have a child employment permit granted by the local authority; no work may be undertaken without this permit. Regulations will set out details of permits, including application procedures, conditions, record-keeping, and potential exemptions.

The Secretary of State for Education and the Welsh Ministers have powers to make detailed regulations on:

Types of work that may be prohibited for children.

Hours and times of employment.

Breaks and leave entitlements.

Other conditions relating to child employment.
UK Parliament Bills

Scotland - Employment of Children

The Bill includes a corresponding provision for Scotland, amending the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 to align child employment legislation with the updated framework. While Scotland has its own legal system, the Bill's provisions mirror those for England, adapted to Scottish context.

Age and Work Type

Under the Scottish provision, a child may not be employed to work while under 14, unless regulations specifically authorise light work for children aged 13. Light work is similarly defined to ensure it poses no risk to the child’s safety, development or education.

Hours and Conditions

The Scottish rules are substantively the same as those for England:

Work is prohibited before 7 a.m. or after 8 p.m. on any day.

There are strict limits on working during school days and weeks when children are required to attend school, including maximum daily and weekly hours.
UK Parliament Bills

Regular breaks and mandatory periods without work are required.

Permits and Regulatory Powers

In Scotland, a child must be employed in accordance with a child employment permit issued by the local authority under regulations made by the Scottish Ministers.

The Scottish Ministers may also make further regulations detailing:

Permit procedures and appeals.

Requirements for employers (including producing permits for inspection).

Inter-authority information sharing regarding permits.

These provisions give Scotland the flexibility to tailor regulations locally while maintaining the same core protections for children engaged in work.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill establishes a harmonised and modernised statutory regime for child employment across England and Scotland. Under this framework:

Children under 14 are generally prohibited from work, with carefully defined exceptions for light work from age 13.

Hours and times of work are tightly controlled to safeguard health, development and schooling.

Child employment permits and detailed regulations will govern how children may work, ensuring appropriate oversight by local authorities or Scottish Ministers.

These changes aim to protect children while allowing them to gain experience and benefit from suitable employment.

Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill