The law provides that young people may only do work which is not likely to be harmful to the safety, health and development of the person.

If you are of compulsory school age, you are not allowed to work:

• Before 7am or after 7pm, or during school hours.
• For more than two hours on a school weekday, and no more than one hour before school starts.
• For more than eight hours on Saturdays and holidays (two hours on Sundays).
• For more than 35 hours a week during the holidays.

The minimum wage
Although there is a minimum wage for over 18s there is no set rate for under 18s. If you feel you aren't being paid enough, check and see whether your mates are being paid much more for their jobs. If they are then try negotiating a pay rise.

What's on your payslip

Employer name
The person, company or organisation you work for.

Employee name
That's you, the one with the name badge on your overalls.

Pay reference
This number is unique to you, with one for each staff member.

Payment date
Tells you when the money hit your account.

Gross pay
All the money you've earned in this period, before deductions.

National Insurance Contribution
The amount deducted depends on your income, but it's compulsory. Your NI number may also be included, along with a code that determines whether or not you're contributing to a work pension scheme.

Income tax
This amount is paid to the Inland Revenue, and deducted at source. It's a percentage of your income, and depends on what income bracket you're in.

Pension Scheme contributions
There are many different types of pension schemes on offer, all of which allow you to invest a percentage of your income for your retirement. If you've opted in to such a scheme, the amount in question will be deducted at source and shown here.

Net pay
What you're left with, once the deductions have been taken off.