Information for parents

Distribution work may be started at the earliest during that calendar year when a person turns 14. According to the law youngsters aged 13 to 14 years may execute light work, which does not harm their health or development nor does cause a disadvantage to school work. Up to half of school holidays may be used for working according to the law and during the school year occasional or otherwise short-term work may be executed.

Distribution work once a week applies well in every way to these requirements. Newspaper and advertisement distribution is mentioned in the regulation by the social- and health ministry (189/2012) as an example of suitable, light work for young people.

Working time for employees less than 15 years of age must be set between 8 AM and 8 PM. On school days the work may take two hours at maximum. Distribution work is executed outside the working place and does not apply to working time monitoring. For these reasons young employees are informed to pre-sort the distribution products one day prior to distribution. They are also asked to notify their superior, if there are changes in the given distribution area which influence the youngster’s ability to execute the work within the limits of law and regulations. We are happy to co-operate with parents and guardians to ensure no disruptions in school work caused by distribution work.

A young person who has turned 15 and has fulfilled compulsory education may be employed as a permanent employee and they may work as much as an adult.

15 years old employee has the permission to make and terminate their own working agreement. As for the 13 to 14 years old the working agreement must be made by the guardian, or the young person himself/herself with the permission of the guardian. In this case the permission is verified by the guardian’s signature.

We register the names and contact information of the parents of all our young employees for the listing of young employees, which is demanded by the law. Asking contact information in the working agreement improves on the reliability that parents are always aware of the making of a working agreement.

Guardians have the right to terminate a young employee’s working agreement, should they see that it is necessary for the sake of the youngster’s parenting, development or health.

As described in the law, distribution work is light work comparable to light shop- or office work, which does not require a separate health check at the start of employment. Our occupational health care covers statutory services. Our employees are insured in case of accidents during work.