Minimum Age for Employment
Minimum age for employment has been raised from 14 years to 15 years under the 2019 Labour Proclamation.
Source: §89(2) of the Labour Proclamation No. 1156/2019
Minimum Age for Hazardous Work
Minimum Age for Hazardous Work is set at 18 years. Workers between the ages of 15 to 18 years are classified as young workers. It is prohibited to employ young workers in work which on account of its nature or due to the condition in which it is carried out, endangers the life or health of the young workers performing it. The Minister may prescribe the list of activities prohibited to young workers, which shall include, in particular: work in the transport of passengers and goods; work on electric power transmission lines; underground work in mines and quarries; work in sewers and digging tunnels.
Under Directive No. 813/2021 issued by Ethiopia's Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Article 5 specifies activities that are explicitly prohibited for young workers (persons aged 15–18) due to significant health and safety risks. Prohibited activities include transporting goods or passengers by land, air, or water; heavy lifting and related work at ports and warehouses; jobs directly linked to electric power generation and distribution; underground work in mining and quarrying; working at heights involving scaffolding or machinery such as cranes; manufacturing or handling substances that induce addiction (e.g., alcohol, tobacco); working in extremely hot or cold environments; exposure to harmful radiations (ionizing and non-ionizing); handling hazardous chemicals like arsenic, lead, mercury, and cyanide; working with explosives and incendiary substances; and tasks involving direct exposure to biological hazards such as fungi, bacteria, or viruses causing contagious diseases.
Normal working hours for young persons may not exceed seven hours per day. It is prohibited to employ young workers on night work between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.; overtime work; weekly rest days; and public holidays.
Source: §89-91 of the Labour Proclamation No. 1156/2019; §5 of the Directive No. 813/2021 (Directive on the Restating of Activities Prohibited for Young Workers)
