Keeping holiday work safe and fair for young employees

SafeWork SA is reminding South Australian employers of their legal duties to the thousands of young people taking on casual work over the current holiday season.

“They have dual responsibilities covering safety and fairness,” says Acting Executive Director Bryan Russell. “Workers aged 15 to 24 generally run a greater risk of suffering harm at work than older workers, due to their inexperience.

“Employers must ensure that their young workers are properly trained and supervised for the tasks they are asked to perform, especially if it’s the first time they’ve undertaken the task or they’re new to the workplace.

“Young workers are also vulnerable to unfair or illegal work practices that deny them fair pay and conditions. One of the more common complaints we receive relates to so-called ‘trial’ work, where a young person is made to work unpaid to see if they’re ‘suitable’ for a position. This is illegal. Under South Australia’s industrial laws, every worker must be paid the correct wages for the work that they do; there is no such thing as an unpaid trial or probation period.

“Employers can be prosecuted and face penalties in relation to each occasion that an employee is underpaid or not paid.

“Employers should always be aware that young people may feel reluctant to speak up or ask questions, so it’s important to put them at ease and encourage them to speak up if they’re unsure how to perform a work task safely or what their pay and working conditions are.”

Nearly 19,000 former Year 10 students enter the job market better informed about their OHS rights and obligations, thanks to their participation in Passport to Safety. In 2010, 132 schools and 18,900 students registered to participate in the web-based, self-paced learning and test program aimed at raising awareness about the importance of workplace health and safety of young people preparing to enter the workforce for the first time.