Post - Employing junior workers!

Did you know that restrictions for employing junior workers vary across state and territory? These restrictions include, but are not limited to:

- minimum age of employment;

- maximum hours of work;

- shifts;

- breaks;

- prohibited hours; and

- supervision.

Generally speaking, the minimum age for employment in Queensland is 13 years of age. More specifically, if a child carries out supervised delivery work (delivering newspapers, advertising material or similar items) between the hours of 6am to 6pm, this is lowered to 11 years of age.

The Child Employment Act 2006 (“the Act”) outlines maximum working hours, maximum shifts, breaks, supervision and prohibited hours for school-aged children. A school-aged child can be defined as a child who is under 16 years of age and required to be enrolled at a school.

It is important to note that most awards have a specific minimum wage for juniors (workers under 21). These rates of pay can be identified within the relevant award or the award’s pay guide. If there are no junior pay rates in the award, a junior worker should be paid the adult wage rate.

For further information, please visit the below links:

https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2006-002

https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/employing/hiring-recruitment/employing-children/restrictions

Alternatively, if you require further assistance, contact the team today!

HR Business Assist | P 1300 138 551 | E support@hrbusinessassist.com.au