Hiring Youth 15 Years and Younger – Employer Guide for BC

When hiring youth, especially those 15 years of age and younger, employers must adhere to specific legal requirements under the BC Employment Standards Act: Hiring Young People.  The rules vary depending on the age of the youth, the type of work, and the industry involved.

General Rules:

• Youth aged 15 years of age and under cannot perform hazardous work* or work in hazardous industries.
• Youth must be directly supervised by someone who is at least 19 years old; this means the youth cannot be left alone and the adult takes an active part in ensuring their safety at all times.
• Employers must obtain written consent from the youth’s parent or guardian in order to employ them.
• A Written Consent Form must be completed by the child’s parent or guardian and retained by the employer as part of their employment records. Employment Standards does not require a copy.

*Hazardous work as defined in the Employment Standards Regulation includes tasks that may be harmful to the health, safety, or morals of a person under 16 years of age.

Ensure that you have a written employment agreement and a detailed job description that outlines duties and responsibilities. These documents should exist between all workers and their employers, not just for youth.

Working Hour Restrictions:

Youth who are under 15 years of age cannot:

• Be required to work during school hours
• Work more than 4 hours on school days
• Work more than 7 hours on a non-school day
• Work more than 20 hours in a week with 5 school days
• Work more than 35 hours a week when school is not in session

For youth who are 15 years old, there are no restrictions on hours of work. However, written consent from the youth’s parent or guardian is still required.

Child Employment Permit:

Depending on the circumstances, a child employment permit may also be required (approval from the Director of Employment Standards) to employ youth under 16 years of age. If you are providing light work as defined by BC Employment Standards, you likely do not require a permit.

Use the following guide a find out if you need a child employment permit.

Recommended Safety Training

We strongly encourage all new and young workers to complete go2HR’s Safety Basics Training – a free online training course that provides fundamental workplace safety. This training helps meet WorkSafeBC requirements for new and young worker orientation.