Private sector employers and employees
Telephone: 1300 655 266
Mailing address
Locked Bag 100
East Perth WA 6892
Laws restrict when children under 15 can work in takeaway food businesses, and a proactive campaign to improve compliance with these laws has just commenced.
As part of the education stage of this campaign, Wageline is providing takeaway food businesses across Western Australia with information about their obligations for employing children.
If you own or manage a takeaway food business, you need to know:
There are exclusions if the child is working in a family business owned by a relative such as a parent, aunt, uncle or grandparent, or the organisation is a charity or not-for-profit organisation.
The Children and Community Services Act 2004 regulates the employment of children under the age of 15 years and applies to all businesses in Western Australia.
Following the education component of the campaign, selected businesses will be audited by industrial inspectors from the Private Sector Labour Relations Division to ensure that children are not being employed or otherwise engaged in breach of the Children and Community Services Act. If breaches are identified, the Department may initiate prosecution action in the Industrial Magistrates Court.
More information is available on the Employment of children laws in WA – shop, restaurant, fast food or takeaway food business page of the Wageline website, or by contacting Wageline on 1300 655 266.
The Wageline website also contains:
Workplace safety is also a critical issue for all workers in food businesses - find out more about your safety obligations from WorkSafe on 1300 307 877 or www.dmirs.wa.gov.au/worksafe.
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