According to the "Young Persons Protection of Employment Act" adolescents are especially protected regarding their labour time. The daily labour time is generally restricted to 8 hours and a prohibition of night shifts between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. exists - just to mention two features. In some branches, like gastronomy, several exceptions are made because for this sector working during evening and night hours is part of the job description. In gastronomy, adolescents from 16 years on are allowed to work until 10 p.m., in companies with multiple shifts even until 11 p.m. This study investigates the flexibility of these limitations. By literature research and nationwide survey of apprentices in hotel and catering industry, consolidated findings about effects of daily labour time length and working during the evening and at night on exposure and demands, dormancy, healthiness as well as on leisure activities of adolescents has been investigated.

Regarding the German and international literature there are barely hints for the influences of labour time characteristics on employed adolescents. Nevertheless hypotheses could be created and questionnaires constructed by known results regarding general aspects for adolescents like circadian rhythm, dormancy habits and circle of friends.

The interrogation results of 853 apprentices during the first year of apprenticeship in hotel and catering industry (including 223 persons less than 18 years) reveal on the one hand excessive offences against currently counting guidelines concerning labour time. Furthermore we can show a negative influence of the length of daily work on exposure, dormancy and leisure time; but the work finish time does even have a stronger negative influence: Work finish time later than 10 p.m. can not be recommended for young people less than 18 years. Furthermore the length of daily work should be 8 hrs in general; this can be extended up to 9 hrs for once under the condition of balancing the daily working time to an average of 8 hrs.

Regarding the work finishing time it must be recommended to stick to the guidelines from "Young Persons Protection of Employment Act". If the length of daily labour work should be more flexible, it is important to follow the guidelines from "Young Persons Protection of Employment Act" and to make sure that their practical application is guaranteed.

Please download the complete report "Effects of work accomplished by adolescents during evening and night time" (in German only).