Chapter 9
Young workers
[ch 9: page 173]The Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2002 ended the UK opt-out for young workers. Young workers are defined as having “attained the age of 15 but not the age of 18” and are, in England and Wales, over compulsory school age and in Scotland over school age. Under the WTR, the maximum working hours for young workers must not exceed eight hours a day or 40 hours a week. These hours cannot be averaged out over a longer period. Where a young person works for more than one employer, working hours are aggregated and must be within the overall maximum.