First jobs · 5 min read
What jobs can a 14 or 15 year old do?
What 13 to 15 year olds can legally do in the UK, the hours limits in term time and holidays, the council work permit, and jobs that take under-16s.
The short answer
From 13 you can do light part-time work such as a paper round, shop work, café help, hairdressing assistance or farm work, with a work permit from your council. Term-time limits are 2 hours on a school day, 12 hours a week, and nothing before 7am or after 7pm. In holidays 13 and 14 year olds can do 25 hours a week and 15 year olds 35. There's no legal minimum wage under 16, so agree the rate first.
Key takeaways
- Minimum age for part-time work is 13, and only in jobs the local byelaws allow; 14 and 15 year olds have a wider list.
- Term time: 2 hours on a school day, 5 hours on a Saturday at 13-14 and 8 at 15, 12 hours a week in total.
- School holidays: 25 hours a week at 13-14, 35 hours a week at 15-16, never before 7am or after 7pm.
- Your employer must get a work permit from the council, and you're owed two weeks a year with no work.
On this pageWhat the law lets you do before 16
What the law lets you do before 16
Under-16s in the UK can only do light work, and only from age 13. National rules set the hours, and each council's byelaws list the jobs allowed: typically a paper round, shop work, café work outside the kitchen, office work, hairdressing assistance, stables and farm work, with a wider list from 14. Factories, building sites, industrial machinery, betting shops and bars are out.
| When | Age 13-14 | Age 15-16 (to end of Year 11) |
|---|---|---|
| School day | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Saturday | 5 hours | 8 hours |
| Sunday | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Term-time week | 12 hours | 12 hours |
| Holiday day | 5 hours | 8 hours |
| Holiday week | 25 hours | 35 hours |
| Any day | Not before 7am or after 7pm; 1 hour break after 4 hours | Same |
The work permit, and why it protects you
Your employer applies to the council for a permit before you start, with a form your school or parent signs. It costs nothing. A permit means the employer's insurance covers you and someone checks the hours are legal. An employer who says you don't need one is either unaware of the rule or hoping you are.
Jobs that actually take 14 and 15 year olds
- Paper and leaflet rounds: still the classic, still early mornings, still legal from 7am.
- Family-run shops, greengrocers, newsagents and market stalls: Saturday shifts, often found by asking in person.
- Cafés and tearooms: clearing, washing up by hand, serving at the counter. Not the hot kitchen.
- Hairdressers and barbers: sweeping, washing hair, making tea, Saturdays.
- Riding stables, farms, garden centres and holiday camps: outdoor and seasonal, sometimes as a volunteer first.
Pay: what to agree before you start
Because there's no legal minimum under 16, the rate is whatever you and the employer agree. Many pay the 16-17 minimum of £8.00 an hour or a little under; some pay a flat daily rate. Agree the hourly rate, when you're paid and how, and keep a note of every shift. You won't pay tax or National Insurance at this age on a part-time wage.
When a job isn't the point
At 14 the money is small. What a first job gives you is evidence that you can turn up, take instructions and stay to the end of a shift. If no employer will take you, volunteering at a parkrun or a charity shop gives the same evidence and often leads to the paid job at 16.
Illustrative example: the leaflet round
A 14 year old starts a Sunday leaflet round for a local estate agent, two hours at £8 an hour. After a month the agent asks whether she'd photograph a few gardens for listings. She discovers she likes framing the shot and dislikes the walking. The direction she tests next is photography, and the leaflet round paid for the second-hand lens.
Questions people ask
- Can a 14 year old work in a shop?
- Yes, in most areas, as long as it's light work outside school hours and the shop gets a work permit from the council. Byelaws vary a little between councils, so check your council's child employment page. You can't work in a kitchen with industrial equipment, in a betting shop, or anywhere alcohol is the main business.
- What's the minimum wage for a 14 or 15 year old?
- There isn't one. The National Minimum Wage starts at school leaving age, so under-16s can legally be paid any rate. In practice many employers pay the 16-17 rate of £8.00 an hour or close to it. Agree the hourly rate in writing before your first shift and keep your own record of hours.
- Do I need a work permit for babysitting or helping a neighbour?
- No. Permits cover work for a business, including a family business, and anything paid or in kind. Casual help for a neighbour or babysitting for a family isn't employment under the rules, though under-16s shouldn't be left in charge of a baby for long periods and your parents should know where you are.
- Can a 15 year old work during exams?
- Legally yes, within the term-time limits, but your school can object and the council can refuse or cancel a permit if work is affecting your education. Most employers will cut hours around GCSEs if you ask early. Two hours a day in May is rarely worth a grade.
Exercises are practice, not evidence of career fit or a qualification. How to read our guides and report a correction.
Sources
- Child employment · GOV.UK
- National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates · GOV.UK
How this page is written
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