VICTORIAN businesses who employ children under the age of 15 will face a new licensing system starting next month.
From July 1, the previous per-employee permit system will be replaced with a system that allows businesses to employ multiple children under the one licence.
Co-founder of Swan Hill’s Arc Espresso Jake Seears said his junior staff had provided great work for his cafe.
“They’re fantastic,” he said. “They certainly shoulder quite a big load on the weekends, when it can get a bit busier.”
“These guys are at school all week, maybe they play sport on the weekends, and when they come in for a day or two over the weekend, they bring a real breath of fresh air into the place.
“They’re happy to be here, it’s exciting for them. For a lot of them it’s their first job so they get the chance to have money coming in.”
The changes will introduce a fit-and-proper-person test that considers how the employer complies with rules protecting their workers’ rights.
Existing child employment permits will remain valid, meaning those who already have permits for their employees will not need to reapply.
Wage Inspectorate Victoria, the watchdog that oversees Victorian child employment, will be granted new powers, including the ability to issue infringement or compliance notices.
These notices will target businesses that have done the wrong thing, but do not meet the criteria for prosecution.
The new laws increase the maximum penalty for employing a child without a licence or permit from $18,500 to over $200,000.
Mr Seears said it was important to protect the younger workers and he understood they often had a lot on their plate.
“We need these guys in the workforce,” he said. “But in saying that we still need to be sure they’re protected.
“They’ve got all this other stuff going on outside of school and work, they want to be able to see their friends and play sport as well as their school commitments.
“It’s very important to protect them and to understand that they still are children.”
In Victoria, children can begin working from age 11 by doing delivery work, while 13-year-olds are able to take on some roles in retail and hospitality businesses.
According to research commissioned by the Wage Inspectorate, one in three Victorians wrongly believed children could start working without restriction at the age of 14 and nine months.
That belief was even wider in regional areas, held by about 40 per cent of respondents.
The misconception stems from this age once being the threshold when children could leave school to enter the workforce.
Wage Inspectorate Victoria commissioner Robert Hortle reiterated the importance of protecting young people who wanted employment.
“One in 10 kids in Victoria are working, which can provide valuable experience and spending money,” he said. “We need to make sure they’re taken care of in the workplace.
“All workplaces have risks, and those risks are magnified for young workers. If you want to employ someone under 15, it’s important to do so safely.”
