17 yr olds can only work 2 hrs on a Sunday!! Since when?

[swipeup347]

Has anybody heard of the law that states under 18's can only work for 2 hours max on Sunday's?

Both my elder kids have had sunday jobs between 16 and 18 and worked 6 hr shifts in retail.

My 17 yr old son saw a job advertised in a local cafe today saying weekend staff needed. He can't work Saturdays due to sporting commitments so asked about Sundays and was told they don't take under 18's for Sunday work Due to the 2 hr rule . Never ever heard this before but google says its true.

Iv never heard of this i worked 9 until 5 on a Sunday at 17. My niece works 6 hours on a Sunday and she's 17.

That answer is from AI not a reputable source like gov.uk or your local council.
AI often gets things wrong so scroll down and check a real website.

My kids did more than 2 hours on a Sunday

I came across this a few years ago when my dd was that age. I don't think many employers are aware!

It seems pretty arbitrary to me...I understand the logic behind limiting the total number of hours worked in any given week, but I'm not sure why there needs to be any particular restrictions on Sundays.

I think that’s just an incorrect AI overview. I worked 6 hours on a Sunday when I was doing A levels, so about 15 years ago.

ll my dc worked full shits on Sundays when they were that age.

As others say, I'd check with your local Council, or a gov.uk site

i used to work a full 8 hour shift on a sunday at 16

On the acas website it says a young worker is classed as a person from school leaving age and 18 and has restiction but not many and a child worker is of school age has more restrictions including the 2 hour Sunday rule.

I think it’s coming from this. But I don’t think this applies to 17 year olds, as it doesn’t give a number of hours for Saturdays for 17 year olds. So I assume this guidance is for 14-16 year olds.

Yup. And it’s partly why we don’t employ under 18’s. Interesting that big retailers don’t follow it as we’re a tiny business just trying to do our best

Actually scrub that I think I’ve got it wrong. As long as they’re school leaving age it’s ok. It’s Under 16 that’s the problem.

My DD certainly worked far more than that on many Sundays when she was still in sixth form. Before she passed her driving test I used to take and fetch her.

It wasn't all that long ago either as she's only in her early twenties now.

Nope def not correct, i was working from 16, only weekends initially and i worked a lot more than 2 hours! Big retailer too.

It also says it on gov.uk website. I wonder if it's only small businesses thst follow this rule. I know several people including my older kids who work in retail on Sundays for more than 2 hrs!

The rules on gov.uk or similar ones have been in place since I was a teenager - and I'm now nearly 40 - they were just routinely ignored. I remember thinking at the time how crazily limiting they were and even more so how pointless as no employers stuck to them.

My son worked for a big retailer and worked after midnight as a 17 year old too. He was happy for the shift premium

I don’t remember clearly but my kids signed a “contract” with the local council with regards to working with stuff like how many hours max they could work. Is it possible that local councils can have different rules? My dd worked as a barista for a small business where people at school worked Sat or Sun and the other day was for schoolwork/chilling which worked well.

The rules on Sundays apply to 15-16 year old still in full time compulsory education is before they take GCSE’s. Once the exams are set they can work up to 8 hours a day but must have 2 consecutive days off

Aaaand this is why we don’t trust AI…

That is AI and it gets things wrong. My son had a job working 8 hours on a Sunday in a shop at 16. There is no such rule, only rules that dictate what times of day they can work.

It goes back to at least as far as the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 s.18 (1). However, there is currently a Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill going through Parliament, which if passed will amend the law in England and this 2 hour on Sundays restriction will become a thing of the past. I think it’s outdated and definitely isn’t observed across the board.

This. My 16yo at college regular works a full day Sunday. Her employer certainly wouldn't let her if it were illegal.

My son questioned it at the time as he didn't beleive her as alot of his friends work on sundays and she said if under 18 they are breaking the law.

Big shops obviously don't follow it so will.look at a supermarket or big retail company .

No wonder small businesses are failing -they are following the rules but these rules don't seem to apply to the bigger companies!

The law allows councils to make byelaws on restrictions for employing children, so there likely are some differences if you compare one council area to another as @Snorlaxo mentioned.

I just checked what the law says about the fines an employer could face for employing children in breach of restrictions such as working for more than 2 hours on a Sunday.

For a first time offence - a fine up to £50.
For a second or subsequent offence - a fine up to £100.

A “massive deterrent” to large employers! 😆

My daughter currently works 6 hours on a sunday age 17 for a fast food chain. As far as I can see, high school attenders are different from 17 and 18yo, ie in term time 16yo can do 2 hours on a Sunday. 17yo can leave school and work full time if not in full time education or training and I believe they can work 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week and they get more regular breaks.

@swipeup347 how does mcdonalds get away with this?? i have checked and it is not just ai! it is on governmental websites!!

No, it doesn’t say it on the Gov website.