Under age workers target of inspectors
Wage Inspectorate Victoria visited Warragul, Drouin, and other local areas last month.
Inspectors visited local hospitality businesses to raise awareness of child employment laws and check compliance.
A total of 150 businesses were selected for checks across Drouin, Warragul, Wonthaggi, Inverloch, and Phillip Island.
This comes after research revealed that businesses in regional areas are more likely to employ younger workers (eight per cent), compared to metropolitan businesses (five per cent).
Wage Inspectorate Victoria child employment assistant director Jessica Downey said the visit to regional Victoria is about raising awareness of child employment requirements and increasing awareness around the inspectorate and its role.
Ms Downey said businesses employing children under 15 years old need to acquire a permit - these permits are free and businesses can apply online.
She said the permits are required to protect children.
"The permit really protects them. So it puts in place conditions so that they aren't doing things that are particularly high risk and that employers have health and safety plans in place so that the kids are kept safe," she said. There are requirements associated with permits, such as requirements for breaks and maximum working hours.
"There are obligations on parents under the act as well," Ms Downey explained.
"Parents have to make sure that their child has a permit before starting work."
There are some exemptions to the rules surrounding employing children under 15, such as employment of children in family businesses.
Ms Downey said the Inspectorate has also
contacted principals at local schools so that they can begin to help circulate important messages about child employment to parents.
"Our key purpose and driver is to get the message out that if you want to employ a kid, you need a permit – it's as simple as that," Ms Downey said.
"We'd also like to raise awareness of our role and our office and that we exist."
Wage Inspectorate Victoria was established in July last year as part of the Victorian Government's action to criminalise wage theft. The inspectorate's role is to enforce wage theft laws, long service leave, child employment permits, and owner driver laws.