Child employment

In Queensland, the employment of children is governed by the Child Employment Act 2006 (PDF, 619 kB) and the Child Employment Regulation 2006 (PDF, 329 kB) both of which are effective as of 1 July 2006.

An amendment covering the entertainment industry is effective from 1 January 2007.

The laws:

protect school-aged children from performing work that may be harmful to their health and safety, or that compromises their mental, moral or social welfare
limit the hours of work for school-aged children to ensure that their studies aren't adversely affected by employment.

Further changes to the Child Employment Act 2006 became effective on 28 May 2007.

The laws are complemented by the Children and Young Workers Code of Practice 2006 (PDF, 240 kB) with practical advice for employers of young workers. The code is the result of an extensive review of child labour in Queensland undertaken by the Commission for Children and Young People.

The laws provide separate rights and obligations for employment within:

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Rights & obligations

Child employment