Amendment to allow 15–17-year-olds to work just 2 hours a day
Minors aged 15–17 with a legal duty to attend school may work two to three hours per day during the school year under a new law — a change welcomed by schools.
New requirements regulating the working hours of minors took effect in September. For example, 15–17-year-olds with a legal obligation to attend school may now work two or three (in the case of lighter work) hours per day and a maximum of 12 hours per week during the school term. During half of their school holidays, they may work full-time.
Changes in the education sector — specifically the shift from compulsory schooling to compulsory learning, which now lasts until age 18 — also brought amendments to the Employment Contracts Act, said Labor Inspectorate legal adviser Kalev Laul.
"The goal of the change is to support the objectives of the Education Development Plan, which encourages young people to continue their studies after basic education rather than entering the workforce. Additional restrictions are never ideal, but these are based on the idea that young people should be able to focus on their studies and not be worn out from work," Laul explained.
He acknowledged that the restrictions are fairly extensive — both minors and employers must adhere to them.
Laul also noted that with the new law in force, employers may turn to using civil law contracts — such as contracts for services or authorizations — to hire minors, as these contracts are not regulated under the amended law.
"You can't say such contracts are always unjustified. But in the case of minors, the employment relationship is typically a standard work arrangement — if the employer sets the start and end of the workday, supervises the work and provides the tools, then it's an employment contract and the corresponding rules must be followed," Laul said.
The new rules will apply to those who started ninth grade this fall. "As of now, we don't yet have any students who fall under the new compulsory learning requirement," Laul added.
Employers fear even deeper youth unemployment
The Estonian Employers' Confederation, which learned of the legal amendment just a few days ago, believes the changes amount to excessive regulation of employment relationships.
Hando Sutter, CEO of the organization representing employers, told ERR that while employers understand the intent — to help young people keep their focus on education — they are concerned about the broader implications.
"At the same time, we're worried because, despite the current high overall employment rate, youth unemployment stands at 25 percent — and that trend is rising. That's why we believe the earlier a young person gains work experience, the less likely they are to end up among the so-called NEET youth — not in education, employment or training," Sutter said.
"Experience shows that the earlier a young person gets a feel for working life, the easier it is for them to transition into the real labor market," he added.
According to Sutter, hiring someone for just two hours a day is highly impractical.
"What helps a little is that longer hours are allowed during school breaks. I also checked with the Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association and they said many young people get their first real work experience helping out in hotels on weekends. That opportunity is now off the table," Sutter explained.
"Young people will have fewer options," he said. "I urge lawmakers to place more trust in young people."
Sutter added that every restriction tends to lead to workarounds, and in this case, that could mean turning to civil law contracts. "But when a young person enters the labor market as the weaker party, that's exactly the situation we want to avoid," he noted.
Cafe chain forced to rework schedules
Elina Segur, a recruiter for the Reval Café coffee shop chain, told ERR that while they don't employ 15-year-olds, they do have 16- and soon-to-be 17-year-olds working in nearly all 12 of their locations.
"The law change will definitely affect us — we'll have to revise our schedules. If these young workers used to put in five or six hours a day, now they'll be allowed to work less," Segur said.
She explained that most minors work weekends, though some with other weekend commitments come in on weekdays. "We've asked young people to help with things like handling reservations, but we haven't given them any particularly strenuous tasks," she added.
Segur praised the young employees. "Some of them are more capable and eager to learn than some older staff," she said. All Reval Café employees in the same position are paid the same. "We have a fixed hourly wage."
The changes to young workers' schedules haven't been announced to them yet. "That's what we'll be discussing at our next team meeting," Segur said.
Principal: Young people exhausting themselves with work
While employers and the service sector generally support minors working, a school principal argues that such young people should focus on learning during the academic year — not on having a job.
Liina Altroff, principal of Arte High School in the Mustamäe district of Tallinn, said that in her experience, students of basic school age working regular jobs has not been an issue. "That's not to say there aren't any working students, but we simply don't know. Schools don't ask and students don't tell us if they're working," Altroff said.
She believes there should be restrictions on minors' ability to work. "If they're 16, they're usually in ninth grade. I don't think students at that level should be working during the school year," she said.
"As for high schoolers — by 11th grade, many are already 18 — a fair number do have jobs. It really depends on the student, the nature of the job and how much it interferes with their studies. Each case is different. Personally, I believe students should be able to complete their upper secondary education without having to work during the academic year. But families' financial situations and young people's own wishes don't always align," Altroff explained.
"If they're picking up jobs over the summer, that's perfectly fine. As long as it complies with labor laws, there's nothing wrong with that. But they still need to be able to get to school. Balancing work and school is a skill and some students do push themselves too hard when trying to do both," Altroff said.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
