Hiring a 14-year-old is legal in Quebec, prohibited in British Columbia without written parental consent, and impossible at a bank, no matter the province.
Youth employment in Canada is the area of employment standards where the differences between jurisdictions are the most pronounced. Some provinces set a minimum age, others set none and regulate by sector instead, and the federal regime has required workers to be 18 since 2023.
This guide brings together the minimum age that applies in each jurisdiction, permitted hours, prohibited sectors and the authorizations to obtain before employing a minor.
Youth employment in Canada by province
| Jurisdiction | General minimum age | Younger employment possible | Authorization required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal jurisdiction | 18 | Yes, if not subject to compulsory school attendance | Strict regulatory conditions |
| Nunavut | Restrictions under 17 | Yes | Approval for night work and construction |
| British Columbia | 16 | Ages 14 and 15, light work | Written parental consent, permit otherwise |
| Manitoba | 16 | From age 13, light work | Permit and safety course |
| New Brunswick | 16 | Yes, depending on the sector | Director’s permit in some cases |
| Saskatchewan | 16 | Ages 14 and 15 | Readiness certificate and consent |
| Nova Scotia | Restrictions under 16 | Yes, with a daily cap | Supervision and training required |
| Prince Edward Island | Restrictions under 16 | Yes, with a daily cap | Prohibited sectors |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Restrictions under 16 | Yes | Parental consent |
| Alberta | 15 | Ages 13 and 14, approved jobs | Parental consent, permit for jobs not on the list |
| Quebec | 14 | Yes, for jobs provided for by law | Parental consent on a CNESST form |
| Ontario | No general age | Thresholds set by sector | Varies by workplace |
| Yukon | No general age | Yes, with restrictions | Varies |
| Northwest Territories | No general age | Yes, except trades and hazardous work | Permission for night work |
The rules above come from provincial and territorial labour ministries and the federal Labour Program. Data current as of September 11, 2026.
What “minimum age” actually covers
The table is hard to read if you’re looking for a single number. Canadian jurisdictions use three different approaches, and confusing the first two is the most common source of error.
- The age floor. Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Alberta set an age below which employment is prohibited, except for regulated exceptions.
- Sector-based rules. Ontario sets no general age, but imposes thresholds by type of workplace. Yukon and the Northwest Territories work in a similar way.
- The restriction threshold. In Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, working before age 16 is allowed, but it triggers hour limits and sector-specific prohibitions.
The federal regime stands apart. Since June 12, 2023, the Canada Labour Code has set the minimum age of employment at 18, up from 17 previously. A minor can only work there if they’re not subject to provincial compulsory school attendance and the job presents no danger.
Permitted hours and work during the school year
Weekly caps
Quebec applies the most detailed rule in the country. The CNESST limits young people aged 16 or under who are required to attend school to 17 hours per week, including a maximum of 10 hours from Monday to Friday.
This cap is lifted during breaks of more than seven consecutive days, such as spring break or summer vacation. It also no longer applies at the end of the June school calendar for young people who are no longer required to attend school.
British Columbia and Manitoba cap hours at 20 per week during the school year. Saskatchewan goes down to 16 hours, the lowest threshold in the country.
The other provinces reason by day instead. Caps range from two to four hours on a school day, and from six to eight hours on a non-school day. Nova Scotia sets six hours per day, and Prince Edward Island three hours on a school day.
Youth employment in Canada during school hours
The prohibition on working during school hours is nearly universal, but it doesn’t work the same way everywhere.
In Quebec, the schedule must allow young people to be in school during class hours. Alberta prohibits 15-year-old employees from working during regular school hours, unless they’re enrolled in an off-campus education program.
Ontario doesn’t set an hourly cap for young workers, but employers can’t require a schedule that interferes with school attendance. This nuance matters for a retail manager building weekday evening shifts.
Scheduling restrictions and night work
The 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. window comes up in most jurisdictions, with different wording.
Quebec requires that the schedule of a young person subject to compulsory school attendance allows them to be home between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. The obligation falls on the employer, who must take into account where the young person lives and their travel time. Newspaper carriers, babysitters and participants in artistic productions are exempt.
The federal regime prohibits all work between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. for employees under 18. The Northwest Territories and Nunavut apply the same window, but allow an exemption with authorization from an employment standards officer.
Alberta closely regulates workers aged 15 to 17. In retail and hospitality, they can work between 9 p.m. and midnight only under adult supervision, and never between 12:01 a.m. and 6 a.m. Outside these sectors, night work remains possible under certain conditions.
Sectors and tasks prohibited for minors
Sector-based prohibitions follow fairly similar logic across the country, even though the age thresholds differ.
Ontario sets its thresholds by workplace rather than by a general age. Industrial establishments, construction, logging and underground mines each require a different minimum age, with the highest applying to underground work.
The Northwest Territories require workers to be 16 to work in a trade, do any hazardous work, or work on construction sites, in sawmills, foundries and confined spaces. Nunavut requires a permit to employ a minor in construction.
British Columbia has a rule few employers know about. Any child under 15 must work under the direct supervision of a person aged 19 or older. Nova Scotia, for its part, requires first aid training for workers under 16 in food service and prohibits them from operating cooking equipment.
Parental consent and permits to obtain
Written parental consent is the most common requirement, but the age that triggers it varies.
In Quebec, employers must obtain written consent from a parent or guardian for any young person under 14, using the form provided by the CNESST. They must keep it for three years, along with the other documents in the employee’s file.
British Columbia requires written consent for 14- and 15-year-olds doing light work. For any other type of work, or for a child under 14, a permit from the Employment Standards Branch is required in addition to consent.
Alberta requires parental consent for 13- and 14-year-olds, and a director’s permit whenever the job isn’t on the list of approved positions. The Alberta government specifies that this permit must be obtained before employment begins, not after.
Manitoba requires a permit and completion of a safety course to hire someone under 16. Saskatchewan requires the Young Worker Readiness Certificate for 14- and 15-year-olds.
Keep these forms centralized in employee records instead of searching for them during an inspection.
Exceptions found across the country
A few categories of employment are almost always exempt from the general rules, regardless of the jurisdiction.
Family businesses are one of them. Quebec allows a child under 14 to work in their parents’ business when it has fewer than ten employees and the work is done under adult supervision. British Columbia provides a comparable exception for a business or farm owned by an immediate family member.
Newspaper delivery, occasional babysitting and tutoring also appear on most exception lists, often with an exemption from night work restrictions.
Artistic productions make up the last group. Theatre, film and advertising allow much younger children to be employed, generally with a permit. Alberta requires a permit for any child aged 14 or under taking part in an artistic production.
These exceptions never exempt employers from their health and safety obligations. They ease access to employment, not the employer’s responsibility toward a young worker.
Employer responsibilities and fines
Three obligations apply everywhere, regardless of the jurisdiction.
Employers must verify the worker’s actual age before hiring, not rely on a verbal statement. They must keep consents and permits for the period required by law. Finally, they must adapt supervision and risk assessment to the worker’s age.
This last obligation falls under occupational health and safety rather than employment standards, but it applies in parallel. In Quebec, employers must take into account the risks specific to workers aged 16 and under when identifying hazards.
Penalties have been tightened. Since the adoption of the Act respecting the regulation of child labour, fines in Quebec range from $600 to $6,000, and from $1,200 to $12,000 for repeat offences.
Managing youth employment in Canada without risk
Youth employment in Canada is managed when the schedule is built. An evening shift added on a Tuesday can push a young worker past Quebec’s 10-hour Monday-to-Friday cap, or put them on the road after 11 p.m.
Stores and restaurants that hire students should link each minor employee to their date of birth and jurisdiction in their system, rather than relying on the shift manager’s vigilance.
Our article on employee scheduling for growing teams explains the approach, and our article on predictive scheduling laws completes the picture of scheduling constraints.
Employee scheduling software applies each jurisdiction’s rules as the schedule is built and flags shifts that exceed a cap. Book a demo to see how it works.
FAQ
What is the minimum working age in Canada?
There’s no single minimum age for youth employment in Canada. Quebec sets it at 14, Alberta at 15, and British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan at 16. Ontario, Yukon and the Northwest Territories don’t impose a general age and regulate by sector instead. Federally regulated employers have had to follow a minimum age of 18 since June 2023.
Can a minor work during school hours?
No, in practically every jurisdiction. The work schedule must allow young people subject to compulsory school attendance to be in class. Alberta provides an exception for 15-year-old employees enrolled in an off-campus education program. Ontario doesn’t impose a general hourly cap, but prohibits employers from requiring a schedule that interferes with their young employee’s school attendance.
Is parental consent mandatory?
It depends on the age and the province. Quebec requires it for workers under 14, using a CNESST form that the employer keeps for three years. British Columbia requires it for 14- and 15-year-olds, and Alberta for 13- and 14-year-olds. Several jurisdictions also require a government permit as soon as the job isn’t on the ministry’s list of approved positions.
How many hours can a minor work per week?
Quebec caps hours at 17 per week during the school year, including a maximum of 10 hours from Monday to Friday. British Columbia and Manitoba allow 20 hours, and Saskatchewan 16 hours. The other provinces reason by day instead, with maximums ranging from two to four hours on a school day and six to eight hours on a non-school day.
