Jobs for BC law, at 14 and 15
Employment rules for 14- and 15-year-olds in BC
Six rules from BC's Employment Standards Act and its regulation, each quoted word for word with its section.
Quoted from the Employment Standards Act and the Employment Standards Regulation, both current to October 20, 2026. General information, not legal advice.
At 14 or 15, light work needs a parent's or guardian's written consent
A person must not employ a child … who is 14 or 15 years of age … to perform light work without the written consent of the child's parent or guardian
Employment Standards Act, s. 9 (2) (b) (i) Some jobs the regulation names as light work
Subject to section 45.24, for the purposes of the definition of "light work" in section 9 (1) of the Act, the following occupations are prescribed: … cashier; … lifeguard or assistant lifeguard; … salesperson, other than a door-to-door salesperson; … server of food or drink or both;
Employment Standards Regulation, s. 45.23 Some work is not light work
Work or an occupation that involves the following is not light work: … repairing, maintaining or operating machinery, tools or other equipment that could harm the health or development of a child who is 14 or 15 years of age; … handling, preparing, selling, serving or otherwise being in contact with, or being exposed to, a good or service that a minor cannot legally distribute, purchase, use or consume;
Employment Standards Regulation, s. 45.24 Any other work at 14 or 15 needs the director's permission, with two exceptions
A person must not employ a child … who is 14 or 15 years of age … to perform any other work without the director's permission.
Employment Standards Act, s. 9 (2) (b) (ii) Section 9 (2) (a) and (b) (ii) [hiring children — under 16 years of age] of the Act does not apply in respect of a child 12 to less than 16 years of age if … the employer does not require or allow the child to perform work listed in section 45.24 [work and occupations that are not "light work"] of this regulation, and … any of the following circumstances apply: … a member of the child's immediate family is a controlling shareholder, sole proprietor or partner of the business or farm that employs the child; … the child is employed, in relation to a sports or recreational activity for children less than 16 years of age, as a camp assistant, assistant coach, referee or umpire.
Employment Standards Regulation, s. 45.21 No hazardous work under 16
A person must not employ a child … who is under 16 years of age in a hazardous industry or in hazardous work
Employment Standards Act, s. 9.1 (2) (a) At 14 (under 15): limits on hours, and a person 19 or older supervises
An employer of a child must not require or allow the child to work … more than 4 hours on a school day, … more than 7 hours on a day that is not a school day, unless the employer receives prior written approval from the director, … more than 20 hours in a week that has 5 school days, and … in any case, more than 35 hours in a week.
Employment Standards Regulation, s. 45.3 (3) An employer of a child must ensure that the child works only under the direct and immediate supervision of a person who has reached 19 years of age. … Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of a child employed as a sitter or as a home care worker.
Employment Standards Regulation, s. 45.4 This Division establishes conditions of employment for children 12 to less than 15 years of age but does not apply in respect of the employment of those children to whom Division 2 or 3 applies. (Employment Standards Regulation, s. 45.1)