What Employers Can (and Can’t) Ask Under-18s to Do: A Guide to Young Worker Rules

If you’re 16 or 17 and starting your first job, or you’re a Berkshire employer taking on a young worker for the first time, there’s a set of rules specifically for under-18s that don’t apply once someone turns 18. They cover what hours you can work, what breaks you’re entitled to, and which jobs are off-limits altogether. Knowing them protects everyone — here’s what they actually say.

Who counts as a “young worker”?

Under UK employment law, a “young worker” is anyone who is over school leaving age (the end of Year 11, so usually 16) but under 18. If you’re a further education student in Reading, Slough, Bracknell, Newbury, Maidenhead, Wokingham or Windsor doing a part-time job, work experience placement or apprenticeship, these rules apply to you until your 18th birthday — even if your employer treats you much like any other member of staff day to day.

How many hours can you work?

Employers can ask a 16 or 17 year old to work up to 40 hours a week and up to 8 hours a day. There’s no statutory limit on hours for over-18s doing the same job, but young workers are protected because the Working Time Regulations treat under-18s differently to adults. If you’re still at school and doing a Saturday job or holiday work, tighter limits apply: 13 to 15 year olds can work a maximum of 12 hours a week in term time and 25 hours a week in the school holidays, with work only allowed between 7am and 7pm.

Rest breaks and rest days

Under-18s get more generous break entitlements than adult workers. If your shift is longer than 4.5 hours, you’re entitled to a rest break of at least 30 minutes. You must also get at least 12 hours of rest between finishing one shift and starting the next, and at least 48 hours (normally two consecutive days) off each week. Unlike adult workers, this weekly rest can’t be averaged out over a fortnight — it has to be taken as it falls due.

Night work is largely off-limits

With a few narrow exceptions (such as specific roles in catering, hospitals or agriculture), under-18s cannot be asked to work between 10pm and 6am, or between 11pm and 7am if their contract allows a later finish. Whatever exception might apply to the type of work, no one under 18 can ever be asked to work between midnight and 4am. If a job advert or shift pattern asks a 16 or 17 year old to work through the night, that’s a sign to ask questions before accepting.

Jobs and tasks that are off-limits entirely

Certain work is restricted or banned outright for under-18s because of the risk involved. This includes work involving harmful exposure to physical, biological or chemical agents; exposure to radiation; work with dangerous machinery or extremes of heat, cold, noise or vibration where the risk can’t be properly controlled; and jobs like selling or delivering alcohol, working in betting shops, or work more than three metres above ground level. Employers are legally required to carry out a specific risk assessment before employing anyone under 18, precisely because young workers are considered more vulnerable to workplace risk while they’re still gaining experience and judgement.

What this means if you’re a student

None of this is designed to make it harder to find work — it exists so your first jobs are safe ones. If an employer offers you a shift pattern that breaks these rules, or asks you to do something on the banned list, you can politely point out the rule (Acas and Citizens Advice both have clear guidance you can quote) or contact your college’s careers team for support. Most Berkshire employers who take on FE students get this right without being asked, because it’s built into how they plan rotas and inductions.

What this means if you’re an employer

If you’re a small business in Berkshire considering your first work experience placement or young part-time hire, the risk assessment and rota planning sound like more admin than they are in practice. A short written risk assessment, a rota that respects the break and night-work rules, and a bit of extra supervision in the first few weeks covers most of it. Acas and the HSE both publish free templates, and it’s worth checking your public liability insurance covers under-18s before their first shift.

Whether you’re a student about to start your first job or a local employer bringing on a young team member, getting the basics right from day one makes for a much better experience on both sides. Students can browse local roles, placements and apprenticeships built around these rules on our Find Opportunities page, and Berkshire employers can register to post opportunities and reach FE students directly.