Student Job Age Limit – Regulations, Opportunities, and Practical Information

Why Is It Worth Doing a Student Job?

A significant portion of college and university students work alongside their studies, but an increasing number of young people are choosing to take on jobs even in high school – during the summer, on weekends, or even on weekdays after school. There are several reasons for this, with earning money being the primary one, of course. Entertainment, sports, or perhaps a trip with friends aren't cheap, and parents often can't afford these larger expenses, so the opportunity for students to finally earn their own pocket money can be very appealing.

While this is undoubtedly the most significant benefit of working, it's also important to remember that early work experience develops useful skills that you can leverage during your school years – and later, throughout your entire life. You can learn how to communicate effectively, take responsibility, manage others (such as clients or colleagues), meet deadlines, and balance studying with work.

Furthermore, a student job creates an excellent opportunity for networking: you can meet new people who don't go to your school, form important friendships, and even gain acquaintances that will be useful years later when building your own career.

Another important aspect is that with experience, when you enter the job market later, your resume will already list your previous positions, which can significantly improve your chances. The legitimacy of student work is therefore unquestionable – let's see when you can start.

Student Cooperative or Employment Relationship?

Before we examine the student job age limit, it's worth discussing how students can take on work.

Basically, students have the same options as anyone else: a student can establish an employment relationship or another legal relationship aimed at work, work under simplified employment, or as a domestic helper. However, there's also a special solution: as a full-time student, you can also work as a member of a student cooperative.

In this case, the employer enters into a contract not with you, but with the student cooperative. As a result, by law, you are not considered an employee, so in many cases, different rules apply to you than to a regular employee. This means there are no restrictions on the duration of daily working hours, weekly rest days are not mandatory, and you can even work on public holidays. Overtime pay is not mandatory for these types of shifts or for night shifts, and the rules regarding probationary periods do not apply to you – this makes it possible to balance work with your school studies.

Student Job Age Limit

A student can take on a student job if they have full-time student status – regardless of nationality. There is no upper age limit, as you can go back to school at any age. However, until you turn 25, you can work even with passive student status.

When we talk about the employment of students, three age milestones play an important role: turning 15, 16, and 18.

The Act I of 2012, or the Labor Code, states that a person can be an employee if they have reached the age of sixteen. There is one exception to this rule: a student who has reached the age of fifteen and is pursuing studies in a full-time program can also take on work during school holidays.

Under the age of 18, parental or guardian consent is absolutely necessary to establish an employment relationship. However, for adult students, this obligation no longer exists. If someone wants to do a student job, they must have a student ID, personal ID, address card, social security card (TAJ card), tax identification number, and a bank account number – fulfilling these conditions usually poses no problem in most cases.

Working as a Minor

As mentioned, as a member of a student cooperative, you are not considered an employee – however, this does not mean that the employer can employ you without any restrictions if you have not yet reached the age of 18. The Labor Code contains numerous restrictions regarding minor, also known as young, employees, which must be observed regardless of whether you are working in an employment relationship or within a student cooperative. These are as follows:

• The daily working time may not exceed eight hours.
• The weekly working time may not exceed 40 hours.
• The daily working time of an employee younger than sixteen years may not exceed six hours, except for a student who has reached the age of fifteen and performs work during school holidays.
• The scheduled daily working time may not exceed eight hours, or six hours for those under 16.
• Overtime cannot be ordered.
• Night work cannot be performed.
• A working time framework of at most one week can be ordered.
• In the case of a scheduled daily working time exceeding four and a half hours, at least a thirty-minute break must be given; in the case of a scheduled daily working time exceeding six hours, at least a forty-five-minute break must be given.
• At least twelve hours of daily rest time must be scheduled between the end of the daily work and the start of the next day's work.

So, let's summarize the age-related rules:

Working from 15 years old During school holidays (summer, winter, spring, autumn break), with parental consent, a student pursuing studies in a full-time program can work, subject to the restrictions for young employees.

Working from 16 years old Student jobs can be undertaken during the school year as well, with parental consent, regardless of whether the student is pursuing studies in a full-time program – the restrictions for young employees also apply here.

Working from 18 years old Parental consent is not required. After turning 25, student jobs can only be undertaken with active student status. At this point, the rules for young employees no longer apply to the student, meaning daily working hours may exceed eight hours, and overtime and night work can be ordered.

Student Work Is an Excellent Opportunity Regardless of Age

If you are a high school student or already studying at a higher education institution, your primary task is to concentrate on your studies. At the same time, this is the period when you prepare for the life ahead of you, when you gain experience – and work is a very important part of this. Of course, recreation also has immense importance, which requires capital: a student job can help you with the above.

The Y Diák Student Cooperative helps you find the job that best suits your skills and needs, so you can harmonize your work with your studies. Furthermore, we ensure that your rights related to employment are respected – contact us if you are over 15 years old and feel that the time has come to find your first job.