working 17 year olds

bonnie_2

if a 17yr old works for 6 hours are they entitled to a break and if so how long for.

Kilty_2

As far as I know, you need to work MORE than six hours to be entitled to a break regardless of your age. (ie, an employer doesn't need to give you a break on a six hour shift, but any more than that and they do).

Claudie

I work 5 and three quarter hours (and I am way wayyyy over 17!) a day and I am not entitled to a break of any sort. Smokers in my office however get regular smoke breaks so I am debating whether or not to take up the hobby :rolleyes:

In saying that, if I work 6 hours a day my employer has stated I must take 30 minutes unpaid break and as this doesn't fit in with the times I can do, it really isn't worth it for me.

AdamB

Working Time Regulations 1998 taken from here.

Rest breaks
12. -

(4) Where a young worker's daily working time is more than four and a half hours, he is entitled to a rest break of at least 30 minutes, which shall be consecutive if possible, and he is entitled to spend it away from his workstation if he has one.

(5) If, on any day, a young worker is employed by more than one employer, his daily working time shall be determined for the purpose of paragraph (4) by aggregating the number of hours worked by him for each employer.

"young worker" means a worker who has attained the age of 15 but not the age of 18 and who, as respects England and Wales, is over compulsory school age (construed in accordance with section 8 of the Education Act 1996)[9] and, as respects Scotland, is over school age (construed in accordance with section 31 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980)[10]

LittleVoice

Bonnie,

The six-hour shift maximum applies to those aged 18 and over. Those who are 16 or 17 should take a break of at least 30 minutes if they work more than four-and-a-half hours.

That younger age group should also (a) not work more than eight hours a day nor 40 hours a week and (b) have a 12-hour rest between working days and two days off every week.