Employing young workers in Ireland
Reviewed by Mellow Editorial Team, HR & payroll content team
Hiring a young worker in Ireland is broadly the same process as hiring any employee, but there are specific legal protections around working hours, rest periods and pay that apply to workers under 18 — and employers need to understand them before anyone starts.
Who counts as a "young worker"?
Irish law distinguishes between two groups:
- Children: under 16 (or under 15 if they have not yet finished compulsory schooling)
- Young persons: aged 16 or 17
The Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act 1996 is the main piece of legislation governing both groups. It sets out rules on minimum age, working hours, rest breaks and night work. Most employers hiring summer workers, part-time retail staff or apprentices will be dealing with "young persons" — 16- and 17-year-olds — rather than children, but it is worth knowing the rules for both.
Minimum age and what you need before they start
The general minimum working age in Ireland is 16, though children aged 14 or 15 may do light work during school holidays under certain conditions.
Before a young worker under 18 starts, you must:
- Get written permission from a parent or guardian. This is a legal requirement, not a formality.
- See their birth certificate or other proof of age. You need to verify their age and keep a record of it.
- Keep a register of all workers under 18, showing their name, date of birth and hours worked.
You also have to give them a written statement of their terms of employment, just as you would any other employee.
Hours and rest — the limits that differ from adults
This is where the rules diverge most clearly from standard employment law.
For young persons (16–17):
- Maximum 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week during the school year
- Maximum 35 hours per week if they are attending a school or training programme, or 40 hours per week during school holidays
- At least 30 minutes' rest after 4.5 hours of work
- At least 12 hours between finishing work one day and starting the next
- A minimum rest period of 2 days per week, which should be consecutive where possible
Night work is restricted. Young persons generally cannot work between midnight and 6 a.m., and there are additional restrictions on evening hours depending on the sector.
For children (under 16):
The restrictions are tighter. During term time, a child aged 15 is limited to 8 hours per week. During school holidays, the daily and weekly maxima are lower than for young persons, and night work rules are stricter still.
These are statutory minimums and maximums. You cannot contract out of them.
Pay — the National Minimum Wage rates
The National Minimum Wage applies to young workers, but sub-minimum rates are permitted by law for workers under 20. The rates are expressed as a percentage of the adult National Minimum Wage, with lower percentages applying to younger workers and those in structured training. The exact figures are updated periodically, so check the current rates on gov.ie or the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) website before you make an offer.
On the payroll side, young workers are taxed in exactly the same way as any adult employee. PAYE, USC and PRSI all apply once earnings exceed the relevant thresholds. If a student is only working during the summer and their annual earnings will be modest, they may have unused tax credits — they can claim a refund through Revenue after the year ends, or register the employment in advance to avoid over-deduction during the year. As an employer, your obligation is the same regardless of their age: submit real-time payroll data to Revenue via ROS on or before each payday.
Enforcement and record-keeping
The WRC inspects compliance with young worker rules. The records you are required to keep — proof of age, parental consent, a register of hours — are exactly what an inspector will ask to see. Keep them for at least three years.
Breaches can result in fixed payment notices or prosecution. The reputational risk of being found to have a 16-year-old working excessive hours or without parental consent is significant, and the rules exist for good reason.
A few practical points
Hiring young workers, especially seasonal or part-time, is a normal part of running a hospitality, retail or agricultural business in Ireland. The legal framework is manageable once you know it. A few habits make compliance straightforward:
- Use a simple onboarding checklist that includes proof of age and parental consent as mandatory steps before a first shift
- Build shift patterns around the daily and weekly hour limits from the start, rather than trying to adjust later
- Make sure your payroll setup creates a record of actual hours for under-18s, since hours-based records are what the register requirement demands
The WRC publishes a plain-language Code of Practice on the employment of young persons that is worth reading alongside the Act itself.
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