May the apprentice under 18 …?
Task, time of day and hours under the executive order on young workers
Choose the young person's age, whether they are at school or in an apprenticeship, and what the task is. The calculator looks up the sections that apply: prohibited work, machines and substances, the apprentice exemption, the night limit, hours, rest and breaks. It never says «permitted» — only what the executive order prohibits and what must be in place.
Result
Total
No indication of a prohibition
It does not mean the task is fine — only that nothing in the sections the calculator knows prohibits it. The points marked «Requires» must be in place first.
Requires · § 33, stk. 1 og § 6
As an apprentice over 15 you are exempt from the assessment requirement when the machine is a necessary part of your training — but you must be thoroughly trained on that particular machine, and an adult must provide effective supervision.
Requires · § 6
Thorough training and instruction, and effective supervision by a person over 18 with insight into the work — always.
No indication of a prohibition · § 21
The time period falls within one of the permitted windows.
Requires · § 25
More than 4½ hours of work requires a break of at least 30 minutes, suitably placed and as far as possible continuous.
The limits for your group
- At most 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week
- The work must fall within one of the windows: 06-22 · 07-23 · 04-24
- Minimum 12 hours of continuous rest per day and 2 consecutive days off per 7 days
- Lifting: special regard for age and physique, close to the body (§ 12) — the apprentice exemption does not cover lifting.
In depth: the calculation with your numbers
The calculation with your numbers
- The time span: 15 − 07 = 8 hours
- Rest in 24 hours: 24 − 8 = 16 ≥ 12 hours
- Hours in the day: 7.5 ≤ 8 hours
- Hours in the week (all employers): 37 ≤ 40 hours
What if the young person is younger or older?
Same answers to the other questions — only the age changed. The numbers come from the same sections as the points above.
| Age | Hours in the day | Hours in the week (all employers) | Rest in 24 hours | The time span |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 year | 7 | 35 | 14 | 06-20 |
| 14 year | 7 | 35 | 14 | 06-20 |
| 15 year | 8 | 40 | 12 | 06-22 · 07-23 · 04-24 |
| 16 year | 8 | 40 | 12 | 06-22 · 07-23 · 04-24 |
| 17 year | 8 | 40 | 12 | 06-22 · 07-23 · 04-24 |
Formula
Working hours: § 16 (8 h/40 h), § 18 (school day 2 h, school week 12 h), § 20 (7 h/35 h)
Night: § 21 (not 22-6 or 23-7; exceptions subsections 2-7), § 22 (school pupils not 20-6)
Rest: § 26 (12 h), § 27 (14 h) · break: § 25 (over 4½ h → 30 min) · days off: § 28
The task: § 13 (prohibited work), § 14 (machines: assessment), § 15 + annex 2 (substances), § 33 (apprentices, except subsection 3)
Source: retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2025/1713 · WEA guidance VEJ no. 9111 of 15/01/2026
Indicative
The result is indicative and an aid tool for estimates and learning. It does not replace design, applicable standards and legislation or a qualified professional's specific assessment. Always check against the source (Executive Order no. 1713/2025 on young workers (in force 1-1-2026)) and actual conditions on the task. See sources & reservations.