As the school summer break approaches, N12 published a practical guide, with labor lawyer Keren Kanפו, on the rights of teenagers who are about to enter the workforce for the first time. The article notes that hundreds of thousands of minors are expected to take seasonal jobs in restaurants, catering, shops and hotels, and warns that some employers may count on them not knowing the law.
Under Israel’s Youth Employment Law, during school vacation a child may work from age 14 only in light work that does not harm health or development. The legal minimum wage for teens is set as a percentage of the general minimum wage, about 26 shekels an hour up to age 16, about 28 shekels from 16 to 17, and about 31 shekels from 17 to 18. Paying less is a legal violation.
Before work begins, employers must obtain a medical certificate from an authorized institution. Minors under 15 who are hired for public performances, advertising, or TV shoots also need written parental consent. Work time is capped at 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week, or up to 9 hours a day from age 16, with no overtime allowed. During the summer vacation only, 16-year-olds and older may work until midnight if the employer gives them a ride home; during the rest of the year, minors may not work past 20:00. Holiday work is paid at 150% of normal wages.
The guide says that time spent physically at the workplace counts as working time, but being on call from home does not automatically qualify, unless the waiting severely restricts the teen’s freedom of movement. If a workplace injury occurs, the employer must pay National Insurance contributions, and the injured worker is entitled to injury benefits and disability compensation. If the employer did not pay properly, the National Insurance Institute still pays and then seeks reimbursement from the employer.
Teens and parents are urged to keep independent records of hours, payslips and written terms. If rights are violated, complaints can be filed with the Labor Ministry at report.achifa@labor.gov.il, a case can be taken to the Labor Court, or free legal help can be obtained from the Working and Studying Youth organization. The Labor Ministry says it imposed 25 fines last year for youth labor-law violations, totaling about 850,000 shekels, and issued 167 administrative warnings; enforcement campaigns are carried out each summer, especially in restaurants and event halls.
