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Child Labour in Germany

Definition, Explanation

According to the definition in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, child labour refers to any employment of a minor-aged person, in Germany that is person below the age of 18, while the employment can harm the person or hinders the person from attending school. Thereby, any regular employment is legal only from the point in time when a person has left the age of compulsory fulltime school attendance (age 14 / 15).

In Germany, child labour is regulated by the Jugendschutzarbeitsgesetz (youth protection act) and the Kinderarbeitsschutzverordnung (child occupational health and safety regulation). Their purpose is to protect young people in such a way that their health remains unendangered and their development proceeds undisturbed. Child labour is principally prohibited, and compulsory school attendance alone is considered to exhaust young people’s capacity. There is, however, the possibility given for young people to work in minor jobs to earn a pocket money.

Therefore, child labour is granted in so far as

• the employed person is above the age of 13 and below the age of 15 and
• works within a specified range of activities:
  • delivering newspapers
  • work in private and agricultural households, such as housework and gardening, errands, administrative tasks, cleaning tasks, light construction work, baby-sitting, private lessons, taking dogs out, shopping, assistance in harvesting and selling of agricultural products, animal care
  • work in sports, in non-commercial auctions and events of churches, associations, clubs and political parties
• the work is suitable to be done by a child
• and is done exclusively on work days (Monday to Saturday), in the time from 8 am and 6 pm
• the working hours are not before or during school lessons
• and are no more than 2 hours per day, respectively 3 hours per day in agricultural family businesses

Exceptions:

• Juveniles in compulsory fulltime school attendance, that is persons of age 15 to 18, can exert a holiday job during school vacation
• Within an internship that is part of school education, the prohibition of child labour does not restrict the child’s work

Child labour restrictive regulations are part of youth employment protection whose content, therefore, partially applies as well and has to be complied with.

Last update: 08/03/2010