Other helpful information
What kind of work can you employ a young person to do?
- Agricultural or horticultural work but only on occasion and only if employed by a parent or guardian
- Delivering newspapers, magazines, etc
- Shop work, including stacking shelves
- Car washing by hand
- Serving / clearing in a restaurant, cafe, coffee shop & sandwich bar (but not in the kitchen). Examples include:
- Serving at the counter of a fish and chip shop (provided it does not involve getting foods out of fryer or where fish or chips are prepared)
- Washing up in an area separate from where food is prepared
- Making sandwiches at the counter of a sandwich bar (however, if sharp knives or slicers must be used, a detailed risk assessment should be undertaken to determine whether the specific job would be safe for the specific child)
- Collecting meals from a kitchen or returning empty plates to a kitchen
- Working as a waitress or waiter
- Domestic work in hotels or other establishments offering accommodation under the supervision of an adult
- Work in riding stables but not to supervise riding or to be left in charge of stables
- Light gardening work but only when supervised by an adult
- Work in a hairdressing salon but not undertaking tasks involving harmful exposure to physical, biological or chemical agents
What can a young person not be employed to do?
- Work in a cinema or theatre (unless it is connection with an age-appropriate performance)
- Work in a night club
- Sell or supply alcohol (except where it is sold or supplied for consumption with a table meal in any part of premises which are being used for that purpose)
- Deliver fuel oils
- Undertake any work in a commercial kitchen which is considered high risk following an assessment in accordance with regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 2003 - see guidance above regarding what is allowed
- Collect or sort refuse - this does not prevent a child from picking up litter or, as per their employment duties, to empty bins (for example cleaning rooms in a hotel)
- Undertake any work which is more than 3 metres above ground level, or in the case of internal work, more than 3 metres above floor level
- Work in employment involving harmful exposure to physical, biological or chemical agents
- Go door to door selling, collecting or canvassing
- Undertake any sales work involving adult material not suitable for children
- Undertake work involving telephone sales
- Work in a slaughterhouse or in any part of a butcher's shop or other premises connected with the killing of livestock, butchery or the preparation of carcasses or meat for sale
- Work in a fairground, amusement hall or arcade or any place used for amusement by automatic machines, games of chance or skill or similar devices
- Undertake work involving the personal care of residents of any residential care home or nursing home
- Work in any other employment that may be from time to time prohibited by other legislation
Health & Safety / Risk Assessments for young people in the workplace
The central principle behind the Regulations is to keep children safe and to protect their welfare. All employers have a general duty to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all their employees. They are required to carry out risk assessments and record them if they have 5 or more employees.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 2003 state in regulation 16
(1) Every employer shall ensure that children and young persons employed by him are protected at work from any risks to their health or safety which are a consequence of their lack of experience, or absence of awareness of existing or potential risks or the fact that young persons have not yet fully matured.
Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 2003 describes an employer's responsibilities regarding Risk Assessment. Sections (4) and (5) relate specifically to employment of children.
Regulation 9 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 2003 describes the information an employer shall provide to his employees and includes, in section (2), a requirement for an employer of a child to provide a parent of the child with certain information relating to risk assessments.
Please see the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 2003 for full details. Regulation 3(4), regulation 3(5), regulation 9(2) and regulation 16 relate specifically to child employees.
Employers Tax
For guidance on how to treat young people for the purposes of income tax please visit this website.
The minimum wage does not apply to children who are aged 13 or over and of compulsory school age. For information on minimum wage click here.
For further information on Child Employment please contact:
Child Employment Officers – The Department of Education, Sport and Culture 01624 685808 Admin.DESC@gov.im. Guidance - Employment of Children Regulations.
Please note that Just the Job is not a HR specialist. Employers are responsible for checking that the information provided is correct and we would advise you to check the Isle of Man Government Website.