Permit for the employment of children

Children under school leaving age need a permit to work part time in Angus.

A child who is 16 years old between 1 March and 30 September in a school year is over school age on 31 May of that school year.

A child who is 16 years old between 1 October and 28 February in a school year is over school age after the end of the Christmas term of that school year.

Applying for a permit

Employers must send us written notification within a week of employing a child. Employers and the parent or guardian of the child must complete our employment permit application and return it to the child’s school.

During the school holidays the form should be emailed to ACCESSSchoolsLearnEnrolment@angus.gov.uk.

No child of any age can be employed:

in a cinema, theatre, disco, dance hall or night club, except in connection with a performance given entirely by children
to sell or deliver alcohol
to deliver fuels
in a commercial kitchen, except as a waiter or waitress, in a hotel, restaurant or café
to collect or sort scrap metal, refuse etc, except in clearing of litter or tidying up of land and buildings as part of a major sporting or recreational event
in any work which is more than three metres above ground level or, in the case of internal work, more than three metres above floor level
in employment involving harmful exposure to physical, biological or chemical agents
to sell or canvass door to door
in work involving direct exposure to adult material or in situations which are for this reason otherwise unsuitable for children
in phone sales
in any slaughterhouse or in that part of any butcher’s shop or other premises connected with the killing of livestock, butchery, or the preparation of carcasses or meat for sale
as an attendant or assistant in a fairground or amusement arcade or in any other premises used for public amusement with automatic machines, games of chance or skill or similar devices
in the personal care of residents or any residential care home or nursing home unless under the supervision of a responsible adult
in any employment directly connected with gaming or betting
in any employment in or about any fish curers premises
in driving, feeding or attending to animals in any auction, mart or public place

Children under 13

Children aged 10 or over can be employed in light agricultural or horticultural work on an occasional basis while supervised by their parent or guardian.

Children aged over 13 and under 15

Children aged over 13 and under 15 can be employed in light work of up to 12 hours per week in:

agricultural or horticultural work
delivery of newspapers, journals and other printed material, and collecting payment
shop work, including shelf stacking
hairdressing salons
office work
car washing by hand in a private residential setting
in a café or restaurant
in riding stables
domestic work in hotels and other establishments offering accommodation
street trading

The daily working limits are two hours per school day, two hours on Sunday and no more than five hours on Saturday.

Children aged 15 and over

Children aged 15 and over can be employed in light work up to 12 hours per week.

The daily working limits are two hours per school day, two hours on Sunday and no more than eight hours on Saturday.

Employment before school

Children can be employed for up to one hour before the start of a school day.