Pay, rights and working hours

You can start full time work of up to 40 hours a week when you have reached the minimum school leaving age.

In Wales the minimum school leaving age is calculated like this:

• You can leave school on the last Friday of June, only if you are going to be 16 by the end of that school year’s summer holidays

Find out more about child employment and the official school leaving age on Gov.uk.

You can:

• Work part time from the age of 13 in Wales. There are limits on the number of hours you can work. Visit the Children's Legal Centre Wales for more information

Children working in television, theatre and modelling may be younger. Anyone under 13 working in these 3 areas must have a performance licence. Find out more about working as a child performer on Gov.uk.

The National Minimum Wage/National Living Wage is the minimum hourly rate you would get paid in a job.

To get:

• National Minimum Wage you must be at least school leaving age and up to aged 20
• National Living Wage you must be aged 21 and over

The rates change on 1 April every year.

Take a look at National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates on Gov.uk for more information, including rates for apprentices which depend on age and the stage of apprenticeship.

MoneyHelper, from the Money and Pensions Service, can help you understand more about the money you earn. Take a look at Understanding your payslip to find out more.

I'm under 20

If you live in the UK and a parent has filled in a Child Benefit claim form for you, you should be sent a National Insurance number automatically in the 3 months before your 16th birthday. If you didn’t receive one, and you are aged 16 to 19 you can call the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) helpline number:

Telephone: 0300 200 3500

Text phone: 0300 200 3519

Opening times: Monday to Friday 8am-6pm

When you phone the helpline number, HMRC will not tell you your National Insurance number over the phone. They will post it to you. This usually takes up to 10 working days.

I'm over 20

There is information about how to apply for a National Insurance Number on Gov.uk.

It can take up to 16 weeks to get your National Insurance Number.

I've lost my National Insurance Number

There is information to help find a lost National Insurance Number on Gov.uk.

Where can I get more information?

Find out more about your National Insurance Number on Gov.uk.

ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) can be contacted for confidential, free advice about employment law or work-related questions.

Telephone: 0300 123 1100

Text phone: 18001 0300 123 1100

Open Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm.

View the other ways to contact ACAS.

If you are a member of a trade union, they can advise and support you in terms of your employment rights.

MoneyHelper, from the Money and Pensions Service, offers free and impartial money and employment advice.

A trade union is an organisation made up of employees acting together. Unions work with employers to get better pay and working conditions for employees.

A trade union will:

• Bargain with your employer for better pay for you
• Fight for better working conditions such as more holiday entitlement or better sick pay
• Help to keep you safe at work by agreeing health and safety standards and procedures with your employer
• Support and represent you if you have a dispute with your employer about your employment rights
• Fight against unfair treatment and discrimination at work, and support you if you experience either of them

It is your choice whether you join a union. If you choose not to join, you still have your employment rights.

Did you know? Unions run training and education programmes too, to help people get better jobs.

Learn more about training on the  Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF) projects page on the Trades Union Congress (TUC) website.

Learn more about trade unions on the Trades Union Congress (TUC) website.

There might be one or more union organisers based in your workplace. They might also be able to give you more information.

NACRO are a national social justice charity who have advice and information about:

• Disclosing criminal records to employers
• How different sectors handle applications from people with a criminal record
• What information will be disclosed on the different kinds of DBS checks
• How to find out what is on your criminal record

Telephone: 0300 123 1889

Email: website@nacro.org.uk

You have worker’s employment rights (Gov.uk) from the day you start work.

After 12 weeks in your job you will qualify for the same rights as people who are employed directly by the company.

Read more about your rights as an agency worker on Gov.uk.

Take a look at Options after redundancy for information about the support available.

MoneyHelper, from the Money and Pensions Service, can help you with creating a redundancy plan, which benefits you can claim and your legal rights. Find out more on MoneyHelper - Redundancy.

Your company's Human Resources Department can give you further information about the type of pension you have and the different options available to you if you are considering retirement.

Find out more about the State Pension on Gov.uk.

MoneyHelper, from the Money and Pensions Service, can offer you advice and guidance on different types of pension and retirement income options. Find out more on MoneyHelper - Pensions and Retirement