Employment of children under 16

Any employer who wishes to employ a child under 16 may apply for authorization from the Employment Standards Branch. 

• Application for authorization to employ a child under the age of 16 years (PDF 231 KB)

Additionally, a person under 16 may not:

• work in an environment that is or is likely to be unwholesome or harmful to their health, welfare or moral or physical development
• work more than six hours in any day
• work more than three hours on any school day
• spend more than a total of eight hours attending school and working
• work between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

A person under 14 is not allowed to work in the following industries:

• forestry
• construction
• industrial undertaking
• automotive service
• hospitality (hotel or restaurant)
• theatre/dance hall

Possible exceptions:  Upon application by the employer, the Director of Employment Standards, with the written consent of the parent, may issue a permit allowing the employment of a child, where the director is satisfied that it will not:

• be unwholesome, harmful to the child’s health, welfare, moral or physical development
• be in violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act
• negatively affect the child’s attendance at school or capacity to benefit from instruction at school

• Employment of children under 16 (PDF 372 KB)