Wage Inspectorate Victoria is inspecting cafes, restaurants and fast-food businesses in Bendigo and Ballarat these school holidays to monitor compliance with the state's child employment laws.
The school holidays are a time when many kids get their first job, and employers need to ensure they are working in safe and appropriate environments. The child employment regulator selected these areas because kids in regional Victoria are more likely to work than kids in Melbourne, yet both Bendigo and Ballarat have relatively few child employment licence holders.
Employing kids under 15 over school holidays can be win-win, with businesses getting enthusiastic staff, and kids getting valuable experience and earning spending money. But the Wage Inspectorate warns that it needs to be done safely and legally or businesses may be subject to fines of more than $200,000.
In Victoria, children can work in retail and hospitality from the age of 13, but most businesses need a licence before employing anyone under 15.
The child employment licensing system helps protect kids by ensuring the employer understands workplace risks and has measures in place to keep young people safe, and that it knows about rules relating to supervision, rest breaks and working hours. Research shows 8 per cent of children under 15 in regional areas have a job, compared to 5 per cent of children in metropolitan Melbourne. Quotes attributable to Robert Hortle, Commissioner of Wage Inspectorate Victoria "Many kids get their first job over the school holidays, and we know kids in regional towns are more likely to have jobs compared with kids in Melbourne, so Wage Inspectorate officers are out across Bendigo and Ballarat, making sure businesses employing kids under 15 are doing so safely and legally." "Kids working on school holidays can be a great help to businesses in regional areas like Bendigo and Ballarat, and the experience can be invaluable for the kids. It's win-win, as long as it is done safely and legally." "The Wage Inspectorate has prosecuted 10 regional businesses over child employment laws over the last couple of years, but we'd much rather help businesses employ kids safely and legally than take more matters to court, so reach out to get the advice you need." "Parents have a role to play too. If you have a child under 15 who has just secured their first job over the holidays, make sure the employer has a child employment licence. It's a simple step you can take to ensure the employer has considered your child's health and wellbeing."
