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Duration of work of a young person under 18
Verified 08 November 2021 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
An employee (or trainee in an occupational environment) under 18 years of age benefits from specific provisions concerning working hours, rest and public holidays. Certain provisions (maximum working hours, derogations) vary according to the age of the minor: more or less than 16 years.
What applies to you ?
From 16 years
The legal duration of 35 hours shall apply to any employee aged 16 or 17.
The working time may not be more than normal daily or weekly duration the work of adults employed in the company.
Example :
If the weekly working time in the company is 34 hours, the employee aged 16 or 17 must not work beyond this limit.
The employer must give the employee the opportunity to take vocational courses during the working day.
Time spent on training at an educational institution shall be considered as time spent on actual work.
An employee aged 16 or 17 must not work more than 4 hours 30 minutes continuously.
When the daily working time reaches 4.30 hours, the employee must be provided with a break time of 30 minutes minimum consecutive time.
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Contract concluded since 1 January 2019
The maximum daily working time is 8 hours.
The maximum weekly working time is 35 hours.
The young worker may be employed at a actual work beyond 8 hours a day and 35 hours a week.
This is possible up to 10 hours a day and 40 hours per week for:
- Activities carried out on building sites
- Activities carried out on public works sites
- Creation, fitting-out and maintenance of landscaping sites
Contract concluded before 1 January 2019
The maximum daily working time is 8 hours.
The maximum weekly working time is 35 hours.
Employees aged 16 or 17 may, exceptionally, work overtime, up to 5 hours per week.
The agreement of the labor inspector and the assent of the occupational doctor are compulsory.
The daily rest of an employee aged 16 or 17 years is 12 hours consecutive at least.
An employee aged 16 or 17 shall be entitled to weekly rest of 2 days consecutive.
Derogations from weekly rest periods may be provided for by treaty provisions (in case of urgent work, accident prevention, recovery, recovery measures).
In case of derogation, the minimum rest period shall be 36 hours consecutive.
Employees aged 16 or 17 may not be employed public holidays.
Derogations are provided for if the employee works in one of the following sectors:
- Hotels and restaurants
- Contractors and reception organizers
- Coffee, tobacco and drink outlets
- Bakery, pastry shop
- Fish, butcher and delicatessen
- Cheese-cream shop
- Shops selling natural flowers, garden centers and seeds
- Establishments in other sectors principally engaged in the manufacture of foodstuffs for immediate consumption or engaged exclusively in the retail sale of foodstuffs
- Shows
Before age 16
A minor aged 14 or 15 may be allowed to work during school holidays.
The legal duration of 35 hours is applicable to any employee under 16 years of age.
The working time may not be more than normal daily or weekly duration the work of adults employed in the company.
Example :
If the weekly working time in the company is set at 34 hours, the employee under 16 years of age must not work beyond this limit.
Employees under 16 years of age must not work more than 4 hours 30 minutes continuously.
When the daily working time reaches 4.30 hours, the employee must receive a break time of 30 minutes minimum consecutive time.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Contract concluded since 1 January 2019
The maximum daily working time is 8 hours.
The maximum weekly working time is 35 hours.
The young worker may be employed at a actual work beyond 8 hours a day and 35 hours a week.
This is possible up to 10 hours a day and 40 hours per week for:
- Activities carried out on building sites
- Activities carried out on public works sites
- Creation, fitting-out and maintenance of landscaping sites
Contract concluded before 1 January 2019
The maximum daily working time is 8 hours.
The maximum weekly working time is 35 hours.
Employees under 16 years of age cannot work overtime.
The daily rest of an employee under 16 years of age is 14 hours consecutive at least.
An employee under 16 years of age shall be entitled to weekly rest of 2 days consecutive.
Employees under 16 years of age may not be employed public holidays.
Derogations are provided for if the employee works in one of the following sectors:
- Hotels and restaurants
- Contractors and reception organizers
- Coffee, tobacco and drink outlets
- Bakery, pastry shop
- Fish, butcher and delicatessen
- Cheese-cream shop
- Shops selling natural flowers, garden centers and seeds
- Establishments in other sectors principally engaged in the manufacture of foodstuffs for immediate consumption or engaged exclusively in the retail sale of foodstuffs
- Shows
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
- Telephone administrative information - Allo Public Service
The informants who answer you belong to the ministry responsible for labor.
Cost: free service
Attention: the service does not respond questions relating to unemployment compensation and representations to Pôle emploi, civil servants or public service contractors, the amount or payment of social, wage or employer contributions.
The service is available at the following times:
- Monday: 8.30am to 5.30pm
- Tuesday: 8:30 to 12:15
- Wednesday: 8:30 to 12:15
- Thursday: 8.30am to 5.30pm
- Friday: 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m
- Labor Code: Articles L3162-1 to L3162-3Legal and maximum working hours, daily break time
- Labor Code: Article R3162-1Derogations from the maximum working time
- Labor Code: Article L3164-1Daily Rest
- Labor Code: Articles L3164-2 to L3164-5Weekly rest
- Labor Code: Articles L3164-6 to L3164-8Public holidays (principles)
- Labor Code: Article R3164-2Public holidays (list of sectors giving young people the right to work)
- AlternatingService-Public.fr
- Youth aged 15 to 18 in company: prohibited and regulated workService-Public.fr
- Night work of a young person under 18 years of ageService-Public.fr