Working time for minors in 2026: part-time jobs from 14 years, shift limits and employer obligations

Let us help you draw up an employment contract. Employment law can be complex and sometimes a small deviation can cause big problems later. We can help you navigate them and set up employment documents in accordance with the law.

Who falls into the group of “minors”

Occasionally, we come across kids selling cold beer at pool stalls or underage bartenders at a nightclub. So is it possible to employ an underage person in your business and have them work at night and with alcohol?

You can employ a person who is over 15 years old, but only if they have already completed primary school. The only exceptions are artistic, cultural, advertising or sports activities. However, you need a permit from the employment office for these activities. It is also limited to 20 hours per week and must not interfere with school lessons.

As of 1 June 2025, minors who have reached the age of 14 can also work during the main summer holidays under special conditions. However, they may only perform light work that is not detrimental to their health, education and moral development. The written consent of the legal representative is required for this group.

Thus, classical work can be performed by a juvenile employee, which according to the Labour Code is a person aged 15 (from 14 for summer jobs) to 18 years of age who has completed compulsory schooling. Therefore, the employer must check the completion of compulsory schooling for underage employees, for example, by presenting a certificate.

Compulsory school attendance ends as soon as school ends, i.e. at the end of June, when the pupil receives his/her report card. It lasts for 9 years or until the pupil reaches the age of 17 (for example, if a pupil fails twice, he or she can complete compulsory schooling in the seventh grade).

From the age of 15, the person has legal capacity and can therefore sign an employment contract or agreement with you (or even 14-year-olds with the consent of a legal guardian for summer jobs). However, these persons may still be mentally and biologically immature. The law responds to this by laying down certain special rules for them.

What work must you not entrust to a juvenile employee?

Due to the mental or physical immaturity of this group, there are certain restrictions. Employers may only employ juvenile workers in jobs that are appropriate to their physical and mental development and provide them with special care at work. In short, this means that they are prohibited from being assigned work that would be unreasonable, dangerous or harmful to them at their age.

Certain jobs are expressly prohibited, such as underground work, mineral extraction, tunnelling, etc… They must not work in positions where there is an increased risk of injury to them or where they could endanger the health of other persons or employees. They cannot therefore carry out, for example, work where there is a risk of occupational disease or physically demanding work where heavy loads are carried.

The Ministry of Health sets out by decree other specific jobs and workplaces where minors cannot work (e.g. in the manufacture of explosives, on high-voltage electrical equipment, at heights above 1.5 m, where ionising radiation is used, etc.) The decree also stipulates that these prohibitions do not apply to work where minors are being prepared for their future profession, under continuous professional supervision, and thus sets out other conditions under which such work can be carried out. Thus, if the work experience is under the supervision of a senior and experienced colleague, there is no problem.

Working time for minors

For a juvenile employee under 15 years of age or a juvenile who has not yet completed compulsory schooling, the length of the shift shall not exceed 7 hours per day and the weekly working time 35 hours per week. For other juvenile workers, the shift shall not exceed 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week. These limits shall be considered together if the juvenile has more than one employment relationship.

The employer may not impose overtime and night work on the minor. Exceptionally, 1 hour of night work may be imposed on a minor over 16 years of age if it is necessary for his/her education for the profession, but also under the supervision of an employee over 18 years of age. This night hour must be immediately following his day shift.

Working at the weekend is not prohibited because the employer determines the working hours and may set the so-called non-weekend rest days, but should try to set them so that the rest days include Sundays. All employees (not just minors) are then entitled to an additional payment of at least 10% of average earnings for Saturday and Sunday work or night work .

Young workers are also entitled to a meal and rest break of at least 30 minutes after 4.5 hours of work.

Continuous weekly rest shall not be less than 48 hours for a juvenile employee, while other employees shall be entitled to only 35 hours.

The employer must provide the minor employee with an occupational health examination at his/her own expense before the employment relationship begins, before the transfer to another job and regularly at least once a year thereafter. The minor employee must undergo such examinations. The employer must then take the doctor’s reports into account when assigning work tasks to the minor.

Young workers and working with money and alcohol

You may occasionally come across the statement that under-18s are not allowed to work with money. This is not actually the case. Underage workers can work with money, but employers do not like to let them near money. This is because a minor cannot sign a material responsibility. Therefore, if this minor employee makes a shortfall while working, the employer cannot claim the missing money from him. Therefore, it is up to the employer to decide whether to trust their minor employee with the money.

In contrast, working with alcohol (for example, in the form of working at a bar or at a poolside stand that sells beer) is prohibited and the underage employee may not do so.

Example from our law practice

We were approached by a seasonal food service operator who wanted to hire several students aged 14 to 17 for the summer. Originally, he expected them to take turns working the cash register, restocking merchandise, cleaning outdoor tables, and dispensing drinks, including beer.

During our inspection, we encountered several problems: the 14-year-old temps lacked written consent from a legal guardian, shifts were set too long, some of the work involved alcohol, and some students did not have an initial occupational health exam.

We recommended dividing the workload by age, leaving the 14 year olds with only light relief work with no contact with alcohol, adjusting the length of shifts, adding parental consent and preparing separate agreements for each temporary worker. The client was thus able to employ the students but without the unnecessary risk of a fine from the labour inspectorate.

Beware of fines

You may be surprised by very high fines if you do not comply with the special conditions for the work of underage employees. If you give your underage employees unreasonable work, this can mean a fine of up to a million crowns. If you fail to provide an occupational health examination, you could be fined up to half a million crowns and finally, if you do not follow the resulting medical report, this could mean a fine of up to 300,000 crowns.

Summary

The employment of minors is significantly more flexible in 2026 than before, as after the amendment effective from 1 June 2025, 14-year-olds can work under certain conditions. However, this does not mean that an employer can assign any job to students.

In the case of minors, age, completion of compulsory schooling, consent of the legal representative, type of work, length of shift, breaks, prohibition of overtime, prohibition of night work and occupational health examinations must be monitored. Work with alcohol, heavy loads, hazardous machinery or work in operations with an increased risk of injury deserves special attention.

It is safest for employers to set the rules before the temporary worker starts. A properly drafted employment contract or agreement, shift roster and suitability check can prevent not only fines but also workplace accidents and disputes with parents or the labour inspectorate.