Acas have launched new free guidance, Employing Young People, to help businesses get to grips with the rules around employing younger workers and the special protections that apply to them. This follows latest research by the CIPD, which revealed a growing demand from businesses with recruitment difficulties and who specifically want to hire apprentices.

But Acas are of the view that many employers may not realise that there are special legal provisions that apply to employing young people and because many young people in their first jobs will not be aware of their workplace rights, they may feel like they are being treated very differently to older workers. The main points that employers should be aware of relate to time off, maximum working time and night shift working under the Working Time Regulations, as well as paying the National Minimum Wage and following the rules on work-based training.

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