An audit of 122 businesses along the Mornington Peninsula has identified 574 potential breaches of Victoria's Child Employment laws.
Workforce Inspectorate Victoria (WIV) conducted the audit of businesses where children are likely to be employed, particularly during peak times, such as the summer school holidays.
Eight of 11 employers found to be employing children under the age of 15 were found to be in breach of laws designed to protect children from harm.
Breaches included:
- 210 instances of inadequate supervision
- 152 instances of employment without a licence
- 124 instances of working more than allowable hours
- Failing to provide appropriate rest breaks 64 times
WIV will next determine enforcement action against the businesses which may include prosecution.
Quotes attributable to Deputy Commissioner, Lily Dekic
"Working provides valuable experience for kids, but they're still developing mentally and physically and require extra protections in the workplace."
"It's very disappointing that almost 40% of the breaches we identified occurred at businesses with a licence to employ children under the age of 15. While most businesses do the right thing this result highlights the importance of these audits in keeping kids safe"
Background
Victorian legislation requires a valid child employment licence — in addition to parental consent—for any child under the age of 15 engaged in work.
Minimum age requirements vary in Victoria depending on the type of work and industry.
In Victoria, a child must be:
- 11 to deliver newspapers and advertising material
- 13 to deliver pharmaceutical products or do other types of work, such as retail or hospitality.
There is no age limit for working in entertainment, but there are industry-specific requirements.
Previous successful prosecutions for child employment law breaches have included Donut King and Kanteen Krew.
