A guide to young workers’ rights, and the workplace benefits they can bring.

Do you still remember your first-ever job? Go on, take a moment to remember those days… Perhaps you were nervous? Perhaps you hadn’t a clue what you were doing? Perhaps you had a boss who inspired you?

My first jobs, as a 16 year-old, consisted of putting books on shelves in a local library and supervising younger kids at an after-school club. Back in those days, even small challenges like attending work at the right times, taking instructions from the boss, learning how to interact with the public, etc., were all important things for me to learn. I’m grateful to have had some fabulous managers who steered me in the right direction.

As a practice manager, you might be in a position to take on a young worker or two, and to set that same great example for them. But there are, of course, particular rules to follow when employing young workers.

So, what is a ‘young worker’?

A young worker is someone who’s above school-leaving age, but under the age of 18. Therefore, they’ll probably be either 16 or 17 years old.

School-leaving age is calculated differently across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so you should check the exact details for where you are.

When and how often can they work?

A young person can potentially start full-time work (up to 40 hours) once they’ve reached school-leaving age.

However, in England, they must be in education or training until the age of 18. So, in reality, a young worker in England can only work up to 20 hours per week unless in full-time, work-based learning such as an apprenticeship. These rules don’t apply to other parts of the UK.

By law, a young worker can’t work more than eight hours per day.

What breaks / rest periods is a young worker entitled to?

Young workers are expected to need slightly more rest than other workers and so the usual break entitlements are increased, as follows:

• A 30-minute break if their working day is longer than 4.5 hours – if possible, this break must be taken as one continuous block but can be unpaid
• 12 hours’ rest in any 24-hour period in which they work (e.g., between one working day and the next)
• 48 hours’ (or 2 days’) rest taken together each week – if this isn’t possible for business reasons, they must get at least 36 hours’ rest, with the remaining 12 hours taken as soon as possible afterwards

What pay are they entitled to?

Young workers must be paid through your usual payroll processes (not cash in hand) and are subject to normal PAYE deductions where relevant.

The National Minimum Wage for 16-17 year-olds is currently £4.81 per hour. This amount usually increases each April.

What is a young worker risk assessment?

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations recognise that young workers are often at particular risk in the workplace because of:

• Their lack of experience
• Potentially being unaware of existing or potential workplace risks
• Their potential lack of emotional, physical, and/or intellectual maturity

For these reasons, employers must carry out specific health and safety risk assessments for young workers. Within a GP practice, this assessment could cover issues such as:

• Understanding infection control and how to handle medical equipment
• Responding to unhappy or demanding members of the public
• Coping with busy and high-pressure workplaces

After assessing these risks, you might decide to appoint a more experienced member of staff as a mentor to the young worker. You might also spend a little more time than usual on training the young worker compared with other staff.

Other employment rights

A young worker is unlikely to accrue protection against unfair dismissal (as this normally requires at least two years’ service), but they will have rights prohibiting discrimination or harassment at work. You should not – without very good reason – put a worker at any detriment simply because of their age.

The benefits of employing a young worker

Employing a young worker can send out a positive message about the practice’s support for the wider community. By helping them gain workplace skills and experience at a young age, you’re likely to have a noticeable impact on the young person’s future career development.

And let’s not forget that teenagers can have useful perspectives and skills to share of their own (e.g., around technology and modern communication styles), and we ‘older folks’ can learn from that.

Finally…

What was your first-ever job? What did you learn from it?

Alternatively, have you ever employed a young worker in your practice? What jobs did they carry out, and how did it go?

Do let us know below.