Hello everyone, recently i was contacted by a company and I was just wondering, What are the laws about it? I am 15 and looking for a paid job in the company, If the laws are against it would there be away around it for us?
Thanks
-Charlie
Hi Charlie,
A bit of advice for someone many years younger than I: Learn how to do things -right- rather than how you’d like them to be. If you don’t know what the work laws are for minors in your country, then find out from reliable sources (ie. a government office or agency). If the law says you shouldn’t work at your age, then that’s what you should do. Asking these sorts of questions on an open forum won’t get you the answers you need. Further, looking for ways to skirt the law at your age is not a good way to get started in life.
Best of luck and enjoy being young. It won’t last forever. 
Haha okay 
Thanks. The company are speaking to there lawyers in a couple of days to see what we can do, I was just curious and wanting to see if i could get any rough idea
Ask yourself this. Why is a company going to so much trouble to hire you if you’re underage? There’s hundreds of artists and programmers in the UK alone, all out of work and of legal working age. They could hire any of those and cheaply these days too (thanks a lot recession).
If they simply wanted to give you a try out and see how you do, they could class it as work experience, which if you’re in the UK you likely will have done two weeks or so of that in the past year right? Or they could just wait until you turn 16. I’d be warey of their intentions and don’t sign anything until you’ve got a professional to look it over.
BTW far as I remember, you can work at 15 without problems (so long as your parents or guardians don’t make a complaint), unless the laws changed recently or something. I was in a full time job at that age anyway, but that was so far back Robin Hood still hadn’t moved on from diapers to tights…
Thanks for the information, And What you just said is exactly what I thought to myself, But they seem to be intrested in me. And I guess its there choice. Thanks thou!
Well I certainly hope it all goes smoothly for you, and that I’m simply being a paranoid old fool lol. So congrats and good luck! Hope to see you posting threads titled “I worked on this AAA game!!” soon, hehehe. 
Haha ! Thank you very much frank Your not being paranoid, Your just a lot more wise than I am haha
thinks back to the childish argument he had on here last night… 90% of this forum would disagree with you there grins
Could you please post a link to the childish argument? 
Hell no! hahaha.
There are people in the UK working who are under 16. They do paper rounds, Saturday jobs, etc. Robin Hood had just got his first pair of tights when I left school, but back then there were limits on the hours that could be worked (amount and time of day).
We do have a legal compulsory school age of 5-16 so you can’t get out of education (of some form)
NI and minimum wage doesn’t even apply to under 16s, so I’d be dubious of the companies intentions.
I am still in education as the office’s are in Canada, so time frame is fine. Payment wise, Its more… Sending money as i need, objects as i need ect, Then a real payment when i do turn 16 (in August)
… I’d wait til August then. Sounds like they are trying to get 6 months or so work for practically nothing. Also, double check any contract signing, and make sure it has parent/guardian consent. Sounds a little stupid, but there are ways around a company legally signing a contract of any sort with someone considered a “minor”, unless the consent is given. Loopholes and the like, just be aware. It’s not really all that likely as then they would never ever get projects completed from the constant hiring/firing process, but you never know.
Of course, I also say this as an American where there are legal loopholes for practically anything and everything. To be honest I’m surprised people aren’t suing knife companies because they cut themselves with a knife… Then again, most knife companies don’t exist in the US anymore… so they may be out of legal bounds. (and common sense bounds, but you’d think getting hot coffee would be under common sense. I hate idiots that want a free/easy path to money.)
Sure it’s not Nigeria and they have a big fat cheque with your name on it?
Anyway, sounds more like work on freelance basis than them employing you - which is even more risky.
Edit: of course if its EA Vancouver, than I say go for it. I loved their offices.
I understand the concerns, But everything is legit, Im sure of that, The company btw is only small. And its Molecube, Making Ipod games ect.
Im going to go for the oppurtunity mainly because its a chance i am being offered to do what I enjoy and also get somethign out of it.
Thanks guys
-Charlie