Based on a regulation signed in 2009 by the government led by Andrus Ansip, numerous restrictions have been placed on the working conditions of minors.
In addition to exposure to harmful radiation, vibration, and high pressure, working in environments with excessively low or high temperatures is also prohibited.
Thus, minors may not perform light physical work in environments where the temperature is below 19°C or above 26°C, nor moderate physical work in environments below 16°C or above 24°C.
The regulation also states that minors may not work in environments where noise levels exceed 80 decibels.
At the same time, it is common among minors to do various landscaping jobs on a seasonal basis, including mowing lawns with mowers or trimmers. Officially, however, this is not permitted for them as employment, because the equipment usually produces more noise than allowed.
If young people help their family with such work, however, there is no problem. According to Dajaana‑Jessica Vaher, communications specialist at the Labor Inspectorate, the issue lies in the amount of time spent working and in supervision.
“When assisting the family, the activity is short-term and takes place with parental knowledge and supervision, meaning it is not the fulfillment of a permanent obligation at a fixed time. Certain activities are permitted for children and young people as work, but only in reasonable measure and with consideration of whether the specific child or young person is capable of doing such work and whether the activity could cause irreversible health damage in the future,” Vaher said.
In addition, the regulation stipulates that young people may not engage in work that “exceeds the minor’s physical or mental capacities” or “endangers the minor’s moral development.”
According to the Labor Inspectorate, determining the precise limits of such provisions is left to the employer’s judgment.
Vaher said that minors may not work in environments involving violence, pornography, gambling, or substance‑abuse‑promoting settings.
“The line is drawn where the work environment or content may harm a young person’s values or put them in a situation that is not age‑appropriate,” Vaher said.
The authority did not agree with claims that the current framework is merely subjective. According to Vaher, the law contains general prohibitions, and the employer must assess individually, in each case, whether a specific minor is suitable for the job.
If an employer has doubts about whether a job is appropriate for a minor, it should be considered unsuitable by default.
According to Ain Käpp, head of the labor market working group at the Estonian Employers’ Confederation and manager of the Radisson Collection and Palace hotels, young people’s health and safety must be protected by law. At the same time, young people should not be kept in a bubble and making their employment should not be unreasonably complicated for employers.
“Otherwise, employers’ interest in engaging with them — by offering jobs or internships — will decrease,” Käpp explained.
Käpp said the issue is particularly important because youth unemployment in Estonia is among the highest in Europe. Last year, the average annual youth unemployment rate was 20.7 percent, compared with 15.2 percent in Europe overall. Youth unemployment among men stood at 22.5 percent, an increase of 3.6 percentage points from the previous year.
“If requirements become too complicated or disconnected from real life, we deprive young people of the opportunity to learn about working life safely,” Käpp added.
According to Käpp, employers therefore expect restrictions on youth employment to be clear and realistic.
Käpp also referred specifically to landscaping work, comparing it to listening to music through headphones, where volume levels can likewise exceed 80 decibels.
“If an employer can provide the necessary protective equipment against noise — such as noise‑reducing headphones — and proper instructions, then in a home garden no one may pay much attention to that,” Käpp said.
Often, service sector jobs are young people’s first work experience, because they require no prior knowledge and training can take place on the job.
At the same time, strict limits also apply to employing minors in the service sector, and as mentioned earlier, they are currently not allowed to handle alcohol at all. It is important to understand that handling alcohol does not necessarily mean serving it directly; it may also include, for example, clearing empty glasses.
“If every simple task becomes legally uncertain, it helps neither young people, employers, nor society,” Käpp said in summary.
In September last year, new requirements regarding the employment of minors came into force, primarily regulating working hours. For example, 15‑ to 17‑year‑olds who are subject to compulsory schooling may currently work two or three hours per day during the school term (for lighter work) and a total of 12 hours per week. During half of the school holidays, 15‑ to 17‑year‑olds may work full time.
In December last year, the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced that it had abandoned plans to amend the Alcohol Act to allow 16‑year‑olds to work in alcohol‑related production or sales jobs.
In April, the government tasked the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications with reviewing and easing rules that allow minors to undertake paid work if they wish. It was then announced that discussions were planned on allowing alcohol handling from the age of 13, so that young people could, for example, work as waitstaff in cafés.
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