Youth Employment Protection Ordinance (EmpO 5)

The Youth Employment Protection Ordinance (EmpO 5) contains specific provisions for learners. As the protection age of young people has been dropped to 18, these provisions only concern apprentices up to their 18th birthday.

As a rule, young people under the age of 18 cannot carry out work that is deemed to be hazardous. Special dispensations for young people aged 15 and up are nevertheless possible for apprenticeships when the corresponding work is absolutely necessary for the purposes of training. In occupations with dispensations within the meaning of Art. 4 para. 4 EmpO 5, apprentices may carry out hazardous work if these dispensations are set forth in the corresponding VET ordinance and if accompanying measures are included in the training plan in Annex 2.

The minimum age for performing hazardous work in vocational education and training has been reduced from 16 to 15.

Night work or work on Sundays is only authorised for young people under the age of 18 if it is necessary to meet the training objectives of the VET programme. Authorisations issued in specific cases should remain exceptional insofar as a second EAER Ordinance relating to the EmpO 5 stipulates the occupations in which night work or work on Sundays is authorised.

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