What work can a child do
There are restrictions in place to ensure that the work a child does is safe and appropriate.
Children aged 13 can be employed to:
- do agricultural or horticultural work
- deliver newspapers and other printed materials
- work in a shop including shelf stacking
- work in a hairdressing salon
- do office work
- wash cars by hand in a private residential setting
- work in a café or restaurant
- work in a stable
- do domestic works in hotels or other establishments offering accommodation.
Children cannot be employed:
- in a cinema, theatre, dance hall or nightclub unless it’s in connection with a performance
- to sell or deliver alcohol
- to deliver milk
- to deliver fuel oils
- in a commercial kitchen
- to collect or sort rubbish
- in any work that is more than 3 metres above ground level
- anywhere where they may be exposed to physical, biological or chemical agents
- to collect money or sell door to door (unless supervised by a responsible adult)
- anywhere where they could be exposed to adult material
- in telephone sales
- in any slaughterhouse or in a part of a butcher’s shop where this takes place
- as an attendant or assistant in a fairground or amusement arcade
- to give personal care of residents in a care or nursing home (unless supervised by a responsible adult)
- in any activity concerned with the use of firearms
- in indoor or outdoor markets (unless the child is employed by a parent in their retail business or under their direct supervision.
If you’re worried about a child working without a permit or outside the restrictions please email childperformance@medway.gov.uk or phone 01634 337 310.