Reason for Policy
What is the age when children are allowed to do simple work in their spare time?
13 - At age 13 children are allowed to work in their spare time if their parents allow it, such as distributing newspapers. These jobs cannot jeopardize the child’s health or education and they cannot work more than 12 hours during the weekdays (Johnsen, 2023).
Could a 13 years old who still in full-time compulsory education works as a child actor?
Yes.
(European Union, 2022)
How many hours a week can youth work in the US?
18 hours (Workforce Management Software News, blog, and resources)
What are the pros and cons of teen work?
Pros: independence, maturity Cons: stress, less time for school, less sleep
Mortimer J. T. (2010)
What is the most influential reason why there is age of employment policies?
Education – it is important that work does not jeopardize education. It was found that restricting employment before the age of 16 helps with academic success - as well as safety and health concerns, it is important for children to learn work/life balance (Aalborg, 2018).
For a child under 15 years old, how many hours are you allowed to work outside your school on a school day?
2 hours
(European Union, 2022)
How long is the daily rest policy for youth in Sweden?
12 hours (Search - arbetsmiljöverket) (Si, 2025)
At what age range do girls and boys generally go through puberty?
Boys: 9-14 Girls: 8-13
Breehl, L. (2023)
How many hours in a day during the week can 15 year olds work?
2 hours - At age 15 children can work 2 hours on weekdays and 8 hours on weekends. This was put into place to protect the health, safety, and well-being of young workers. It was also put into place to ensure that adolescents receive a good education before entering the workforce. How much a child can work is determined by outside factors such as life situations outside of work, the conditions they have to work in, and their educational status (Johnsen, 2023) (Nielsen et al., 2018).
Once children turn 18, there is no strict time limit for how much they can work during the week/weekends
From 15 to 18 years old and no longer subject to compulsory full-time schooling, for each 24-hour period, you must guarantee a minimum rest period of 12 consecutive hours and a minimum of 2 days for each 7-day period except your employees working in the___
Shipping or fisheries sector; armed forces or police; hospitals or similar establishment; agriculture; tourism industry or in the hotel, restaurant, and cafe sector
(European Union, 2022)
Why is there a higher age restriction for working in Scandinavian countries versus the US?
Emphasis on work-life balance (Merin, 2021) (McNeely, C. & Blanchard, J., 2011)
According to Piaget, at what age do children go into their last stage of cognitive development?
11+
Thompson, P. (2019)