Elaine Ryan is an experienced HR & Business Consultant as well as an established Accredited Executive, Business & Life Coach & NLP Practitioner. Elaine has over 25 years’ experience in management and has worked in a variety of industries at Senior levels. In this week’s column, she discusses how to navigate the ins and outs of summer employment.
My first summer job – many moons ago, was working in Bunratty Castle. I was fortunate to do two summers there and worked five evenings a week, back then when jobs were scarce.
I was grateful for the opportunity as it taught me the importance of showing up for work, being a team member, taking instructions and working to deadlines. I learned at an early age that quality, accuracy, engagement, and accountability are some of the key ingredients of a successful career. The reason I was taken back the second summer was because I had established a reputation for having a good work ethic, being dependable, honest and reliable.
I remember being very proud of my independence that having my own money gave me and was delighted I could financially contribute at home. Not to mention the lifelong friendships I gained. One of the key factors that made it a positive experience was the support from my managers and my colleagues from day one, being trained and equipped to do the job.
I believe there is immense value in summer/weekend jobs, both for the young employee, who finally has opportunity and time to focus on joining the jobs market, and for the employers, who in many industries, need additional staffing resources during the peak season.
The first jobs – whether evening shifts, weekend work, or summer jobs – help young people grow their independence, self-esteem and confidence. They get an opportunity to work in various industries and environments, and start building their CVs, outlining many transferable skills they have obtained.
These first jobs should not be treated lightly – you build your reputation not only within the workplace but in the community as well. We have seen many cases where people go through college and still work for the same company they started with as weekend workers.
They often increase their hours during the summer and then become permanent full-time employees after college.
This is a huge gain for their employer, who now has an experienced, loyal, and skilled person on their team. In the summertime we often see young people coming into a business, bringing a lot of vibrancy and new energy (and ideas!) into the workplace. Working in one of their local businesses allows young people to give back to their local communities as well and builds their sense of involvement. It is a win-win situation for all involved.
Quick Tip: How to motivate a short-term employee
• Set clear expectations
• Offer immediate feedback
• Provide training and resources
• Recognise and reward
• Foster a positive work environment
• Align tasks with their interests
• Maintain open communication
• Empower decision-making
• Provide a positive exit experience
What you need to know
Ensure you have proper and correct contracts in place for your evening, weekend, summer, casual, temporary, part-time and seasonal workers. Refer to our previous articles for more information, including the requirement of issuing a day-5 statement of the core terms of employment and a full contract of employment within one month of the start of employment.
Ensure that you are aware of your duties and restrictions pertaining to employing young workers:
• Minimum wage and Sunday Premium – while the law allows paying lower rates to those under 20, you can still pay them a higher rate if you wish to give more
• Hours of work and breaks
• Rules around alcohol retail
Legislation
The law on young workers is set out in the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act 1996.
The law for young workers: –
• Sets minimum age limits for employment
• Sets maximum working hours
• Bans anyone under 18 from doing late-night work
• Requires young workers to get specific rest periods
• Requires employers to keep specified records for workers under 18.
Young workers are people aged 14 to 18, who work for an employer. Workers aged 14 and 15 are classed as ‘children’. Workers aged 16 and 17 are classed as ‘young persons’.
Restrictions on employing 14 and 15 year-olds
By law, children aged 14 and 15 cannot be employed in regular full-time jobs. However, they can: –
• Do light work during the school holidays (they must have at least 21 days off work during this time)
• Take part in an approved work experience or educational programme (once the work is not harmful to their health, safety or development)
• Work in film, cultural, advertising or sport (under licences issued by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment)
Working hours of 14 and 15 year-olds
• Outside school term time, children aged 14 and 15 can work a maximum of 35 hours a week (or up to 40 hours if they are on approved work experience)
• Children aged 14 are not allowed work during school time. Children aged 15 can do 8 hours of light work a week.
• Under 16s must be given a 30 minute break after working 4 hours. They must be given a break of 14 hours in every 24 hours, and 2 days off in every 7.
Restrictions on employing 16 and 17 year-olds
• Young people aged 16 and 17 can work a maximum of 8 hours a day, up to 40 hours a week
• If the young worker is under 18 and works for more than one employer, their combined daily or weekly hours cannot exceed the maximum number of hours allowed
• Young people are only allowed to work between 6am and 10pm. Any exceptions to this rule must be set out by regulations.
• Young persons aged 16 and 17 years must be given a 30-minute break after working 4½ hours. They are entitled to 12 hours off in every 24 hours and 2 days off in every 7 days.
Licenced premises
• Young people who are in school can be employed on general duties in a licensed premises, such as a pub. General duties do not include selling alcohol at the bar or in an off-licence.
• Employers who employ young people in a licensed premises must follow the Code of Practice concerning the Employment of Young Persons in Licensed Premises
• The law on young workers employed in licensed premises is set out in the Protection of Young Persons Act 1996 (Employment in Licensed Premises) Regulations 2001
Records
Employers must keep records for every employee under 18, including: –
• The employee’s full name
• The employee’s date of birth
• The employee’s starting and finishing times for work
• The wage rate and total wages paid to the employee
• If they are under 16, they need written permission from their parent or guardian
The employer must keep these records for at least 3 years.
Employers must give employees aged under 18 a copy of the official summary of the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act. Employers with employees under 18 must also display the official summary of the Act in their workplace, where it can be easily read by staff.
For more information and guidance around employment of young persons, please do not hesitate to contact us at ERA Ltd. – we are only a call or email away!
