Faced with a labour shortage, Ukrainian businesses are looking for new sources of workers, and young people could become one of them. That is why draft law No. 16114 “On Amendments to the Labour Code of Ukraine Regarding the Expansion of Employment Opportunities for Young People” has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada.
The proposed legislation would increase the maximum permitted working hours by two hours per week: from 36 to 38 hours for employees aged 16–18, and from 24 to 26 hours for employees aged 15–16 and students aged 14–15 who work during school holidays.
It would also allow employment contracts to be concluded entirely electronically, introduce probationary periods for underage employees and replace the separate special record-keeping system for workers under 18 with information maintained through the Register of Insured Persons.
For teenagers, this could be an opportunity to gain formal work experience and earn their own money earlier. But will those extra working hours come at the expense of their education, health and rest? Let’s explore this question.
Combining education with work is entirely possible, but much depends on the schedule, working conditions and the teenager themselves.
Working in a café, shop, office, service company or manufacturing business teaches young people how to communicate with others, honour commitments, manage their time, take responsibility for results and understand where money comes from.
These are practical skills that will also prove valuable in their future professional lives.
Research by the International Labour Organization (ILO) supports this: young people who combined education with employment were more likely to make a successful transition into the labour market.
But there is one important consideration. How much a teenager works, when they work and what kind of work they do all matter, because employment should remain a complement to education.
If a teenager works a few hours after school and still has enough energy for homework, sleep, sport and spending time with friends, that is one thing.
But if work takes up evenings, weekends, exam preparation time and hours needed for proper sleep, its benefits become highly questionable.
This is particularly important during wartime, when Ukrainian teenagers are already dealing with additional stress and disrupted routines for studying and resting.
One of the most understandable concerns among parents is that their child might conclude: why go to university and spend years studying when you can already earn your own money at 16?
That risk does exist, particularly if a teenager starts earning money quickly but cannot see a clear connection between education and future opportunities.
At the same time, receiving a first paycheque does not necessarily discourage further education. On the contrary, practical experience can help young people identify the knowledge and skills they need for professional development.
For example, a teenager might start working for a service company and realise they want to develop a career in customer service. Another might try working in a technical field and become interested in programming. Someone else might discover the world of sales, marketing or entrepreneurship.
At 16 or 17, not everyone knows what they want to be doing ten years from now. And that is perfectly normal.
School and university provide theoretical knowledge, while real work allows young people to see a profession from the inside. Sometimes that experience confirms their career choice, and sometimes it helps them realise early on that a particular field is not right for them.
I have already written about why a first part-time job does not necessarily need to be prestigious or highly paid in my article “How Much Does It Cost to Get a Job?”.
For example, someone might dream of working with customers until they spend an entire day in a service company. Or they might consider IT their dream career until they discover what it means to spend hours working with code.
I would also add that discovering what you do not want to do at 17 is often much less costly than discovering it at 27.
In Europe, this is one of the reasons why apprenticeships, dual education, professional internships and other forms of education combined with practical experience are being developed.
Expanding employment opportunities for young people could have a positive impact on the economy.
For employers, it is also an opportunity to develop future specialists by introducing young people to a profession at the very beginning of their careers.
Youth employment also helps build human capital. Even basic skills such as communication, record-keeping and computer literacy can improve productivity in the future.
For the state, formal employment means that young people work within the official economy rather than in the shadow economy.
Formal employment also generates tax revenue for the budget through contributions and taxes paid by employers and employees.
Ultimately, even a modest income earned by a teenager increases a family's purchasing power, helping stimulate demand.
However, it is important not to overestimate the effect. An additional two working hours per week for underage employees will not, by itself, solve the labour shortage.
There is also a risk: if young workers begin replacing adults simply because their labour is cheaper or less protected, this would distort the labour market rather than help it develop.
That is why employment opportunities for young people should be expanded by creating more legal and safe options, not by weakening labour protections.
The EU has minimum rules for protecting young workers, established by a relevant Directive.
For teenagers aged 15–18 who are no longer subject to compulsory full-time education under national legislation, the general limit is up to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week.
However, the rules are much stricter for those who are still in education.
For example, during the school year, children who remain subject to compulsory education may be limited to 2 hours of work per school day and 12 hours per week outside school hours, provided such work is permitted under national legislation.
Working-hour limits may be higher during school holidays.
The EU also requires minimum breaks and rest periods. If a young employee works more than 4.5 hours a day, they must receive a break of at least 30 minutes.
In other words, the younger the person and the more closely their employment is connected to school, the stricter the restrictions imposed by the state.
In France, for example, the general rule allows young people to work from the age of 16.
For 14- and 15-year-olds, employment is possible under special conditions, mainly during school holidays, with approval from the labour inspectorate and provided the work is light and safe.
For 14- and 15-year-olds working during school holidays, the limits include a maximum of 35 hours per week and 7 hours per day. Part of the school holiday period must also remain completely free from work.
One interesting model is the apprenticeship system, which, under certain conditions, allows young people from the age of 15 to combine vocational education at an educational institution with practical work for an employer.
In Germany, teenagers may work up to 40 hours per week, but the protections are particularly strict.
The law establishes minimum daily rest periods, restrictions on night work and special rules for working on weekends and public holidays.
Young employees are also entitled to longer paid annual leave than adults.
So, Europe combines three priorities: education, initial professional experience and health protection.
In Ukraine, youth employment should become part of the response to labour shortages, but it must not turn into a way of obtaining cheap labour.
Some people I know occasionally use the success stories of famous individuals as an argument in favour of starting work early.
And indeed, there are plenty of celebrities around the world who began working or gaining professional experience while still young.
Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg became seriously involved in programming while they were still studying.
Both enrolled at university but eventually left when their technology projects began demanding their full attention.
Some outstanding professional achievements are virtually impossible without starting work or training at an early age.
In sport, for example, many champions train for years from childhood, combining their training with school.
Some famous actors began their careers as children and completed their education later, after achieving fame.
But these are still exceptions rather than the rule.
Most people will not become Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg or an Olympic champion.
That is why I believe these stories should be viewed as examples of how valuable early practical experience can be, provided it does not close the door to further education.
There is no straightforward answer.
If a 16-year-old works a few hours after school, has a formal employment contract, enjoys proper working conditions and still has enough time for sleep, rest and education, this can be an extremely valuable experience.
They earn their first money, learn responsibility, become familiar with workplace processes, understand the value of their own time and may gain a clearer idea of which profession they want to pursue.
In my opinion, the role of adults is to help teenagers gain their first professional experience without sacrificing the opportunity to receive a quality education.
Starting work early can teach responsibility, help young people discover their strengths and identify a career that genuinely suits them.
But it should not come at the cost of sleep deprivation, lost educational opportunities or damaged health.
What matters is that teenagers enter adulthood with practical skills, an understanding of their own interests and a solid foundation for further professional development.
Translation into English was created with the help of artificial intelligence.
