Safety Information for Young Workers and Employers of Young Workers
If you're a student or young worker and
- working part-time, for pocket money or to supplement your student allowance,
- looking for part-time or holiday work or
- thinking about a future career
Or, if you employ a student or young worker then you need to know about the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, the restrictions on the work young people can do, and generally about minimum rights.
A change from 1 April 2009 is that the age restrictions for doing hazardous work that already apply for young people who are employees of an organisation will now also apply to contract workers. This ensures that the safety rules are similar for employees and those doing contract work.
Here are links to fact sheets and further website information providing specifically tailored for young workers and employers of young workers. A list of key information is set out below.
Youth Minimum Rights - Key Points
- English • Māori • Samoan • Tongan • Cook Island Māori
Young Workers' Guide to the Health and Safety in Employment Act
- English • Māori • Samoan • Tongan • Cook Island Māori
Youth Age Restrictions on Dangerous Work
- English • Māori • Samoan • Tongan • Cook Island Māori
Your questions on the health and safety in employment act
- English • Māori • Samoan • Tongan • Cook Island Māori
Minimum rights and obligations
Other Material
Youth Minimum Rights - Key Points
Health and Safety in Employment Law
- the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 applies to young people just like older workers
- students on training or work experience are treated as employees
- it's the employer's duty to provide a safe workplace, with proper training, supervision & equipment, and employees must also do their best to keep themselves safe
- employees have the right to participate in improving health and safety
- employees have the right to refuse to do work likely to cause them serious harm
Employees - Tell Someone If You Get Hurt at Work
- if you get harmed at work, tell your employer or safety representative, even if you don't think it's serious
Age Restrictions on Dangerous Work and Working at Night
- the Health and Safety in Employment Regulations 1995 put age restrictions on dangerous work. From 1 April 2009, these rules also apply to young people doing contract work.
- Under 15 young people can't work in certain places, operate machinery, drive a vehicle, lift heavy loads or do any work likely to harm them
- Under 16 young people can't be employed between 10pm and 6am
- Under 15 young people can't even be present in dangerous workplaces
Minimum Employment Rights
- there are other laws such as the Employment Relations Act 2000, Minimum Wage Act 1983, and Holidays Act 2003 that also apply to young people
- employees must have a written employment agreement
- employer and employee should treat each other with respect and act honestly and openly - this is called acting in "good faith"
- employees have the right to join the union
- there are legal minimum wages for employees 16 and over
- there are legal minimum annual and public holidays and sick leave entitlements
