Obligations for parents and employers
Authority to work
Parent’s obligations
Employers obligations
Authority to work
A school-aged or young child must obtain parental consent before starting work. The Parent's Consent Form (PDF, 86 KB) specifies details such as the employer’s name and the hours the child is required to be at school.
If a school-aged child does not have a parent or if the child is living independently from his/her parent, the child can apply to the Director-General of the Department of Justice and Attorney General for a Application for Special Circumstances Certificate (PDF, 107 KB). This certificate authorises the child to work when not required to attend school.
An employer commits an offence if they require or permit a school-aged or young child to work unless they have a Parent’s Consent Form or a Special Circumstances Certificate.
An employer also commits an offence if they require or permit a school-aged or young child to perform work when the child is required to attend school as stated in the Parent’s Consent Form or Special Circumstances Certificate.
For more information about the Parent’s Consent Form and Special Circumstances Certificate, see the Child Employment Guide (PDF, 202 KB).
Parent’s obligations
If you are a parent:
- you must be present if it is your baby that is employed
- you must provide a Parent's Consent Form to your child's employer before employment can occur
- you must inform your child's employer if their school hours change. You must do this by filling out a new Parent's Consent Form and giving it to your child's employer within 14 days of the hours changing.
For more information about the Parent's Consent Form or the supervision of children whilst employed, see the Child Employment Guide (PDF, 202 KB).
Employers obligations
If you are an employer:
- a school-aged child is not able to work unless written consent is provided on a Parent's Consent Form.
- you must take reasonable steps to ensure that while a child is at work the child is not subjected to deliberate or unnecessary social isolation or to any other behaviour likely to intimidate, threaten, frighten or humiliate the child.
- unless an industrial instrument provides otherwise, a school-aged or young child:
- must not work more than one shift on a single day
- must be given at least a one hour break after the end of the fourth hour of work.
- if a child can no longer work due to illness or injury, employers must take all reasonable measures to contact a parent of the child.
- you must take reasonable measures to ensure that the child is able to contact his/her parents while at work.
- keep specific records about child employees including a copy of the Parent's Consent Form.
For more detail about the employer’s obligations, see the Child Employment Guide (PDF, 202 KB).
Last updated 21 July 2009
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