Employment of Young People

Young people ages 12-14

There are a number of specific regulations that apply to young people under the age of 15 and their employers in British Columbia.

• General Employment of Young People factsheet
• Employment of Young People – A Guide for Parents factsheet
• Interpretation Guidelines Manual:
• Employment Standards Act section 9 – Hiring children
• Employment Standards Regulation Part 7.1 Division 1 – Children Generally
• Example Fill & Print Consent Form for young people ages 12 to 14
• WorkSafe BC information for young employers
• Minimum Wage factsheet
• Newspaper Carriers factsheet

Children under the age of 12

For children under the age of 12, the employer must obtain a child employment permit from the Director of Employment Standards.

• PDF version
• Print Screen version

Employers must ensure sections are completed by the child’s parent and the school authority.

The form and a copy of the child's birth certificate should be returned to an Employment Standards Branch office.

If the child employment permit application relates to farm labour, please return the application to:
Agricultural Compliance Team
Employment Standards Branch
A207 - 20159 88 Avenue, Langley BC, V1M 0A4

School's Corner

Teachers delivering the Planning 10 module specific to the Employment Standards Act may wish to refer to the purposes of the Act and a quiz which covers Employment Standards topics of interest to young people. Teachers may contact Open School BC to enquire about further resources available to assist in delivering Planning 10.