Teenage Employment

Ha’asakat B’nai Noar העסקת בני נוער

Working during the school year and during summer vacation is a popular way for Israeli teens to earn extra income. It is, however, important that teen workers (and their parents) have a clear understanding of their employee rights to prevent them from being mistreated or taken advantage of.

In Israel, teens aged 14 and above are legally permitted to work under certain conditions. (Hebrew) Younger teens have additional restrictions that older teens do not.

14 and 15-year-olds

• Are only allowed to work during summer vacation.
• May not work in physical labor or dangerous jobs or workplaces (i.e. Camp counselor and restaurants etc. are okay but construction or similar physical labor are not)
• Are not permitted to work more than 8 hours a day and must be given a 45-minute break after six hours.
• Cannot work more than 40 hours a week and may not work past 8 pm.
• Are forbidden from working on Shabbat (or their religious day of rest).

16 to 18-year-olds

• Older teens have more flexibility regarding work, but still have legal protections in place.
• May work during the school year, as long as it is outside of school hours.
• Are not permitted to work more than 9 hours a day and must be given a 45-minute break after six hours.
• Cannot work more than 40 hours a week and may not work past 10 pm during the school year.
• Must be provided with a ride home if public transportation has finished for the day before the end of their shift.
• Are forbidden from working on Shabbat (or their religious day of rest).

 

Important Notes:

• For all ages parental permission is required and in some cases an appropriate medical examination as well.
• Teenagers are not allowed to work overtime

Payment Information

Just like adults, teens must be paid for all training, and most other employee rights apply to them as well, with a few exceptions:

• Employers are not required to make pension deposits for teens.
• Employers are not allowed to deduct money from a teenager’s salary for Bituach Leumi – ביטוח לאומי – National Insurance or health insurance
• Teen minimum wage is lower (Hebrew) than for adults.
• Travel reimbursement – all workers are entitled to daily reimbursement for travel to and from work

For additional information on teen employee rights, you can also see this website, Employment Services for teens (Hebrew).

This Guide was created and translated by Shivat Zion based on information from the Misrad Haklita - משרד הקליטה - Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and an article by Chasing the Fionist Dream