Young workers and night work

In general young workers must not work between 10 pm and 6 am, the ‘restricted period’ (this can be varied in a contract to the period between 11 pm and 7am, WTR regulation 6A). There may be exceptions to this exclusion (see below) but where a young worker works during the restricted period they must be supervised by an adult worker where this is necessary for their protection and be allowed an equivalent period of compensatory rest:

• if undertaking work necessary for continuity of services or production; where there is no adult available; and where there are no adverse effects on education or training;

• prohibition may not apply in agriculture, retail trading, postal or newspaper deliveries, a catering business, a hotel, public house, restaurant, bar or similar establishment, or a bakery. In these cases work between 10pm/11pm to midnight and 4am to 6am/7am may be allowed, but there is a prohibition on all work between midnight and 4am;

• prohibition for young workers does not apply to domestic service (WTR regulation 19) or in emergencies (“force majeure”, WTR regulation 27).