D1: Protection of Children and Young Workers
Legal Provisions
Labour Law
Labour Law of the People’s Republic of China (promulgated 1994, last amended 2018)
中华人民共和国劳动法（1994年公布，2018年最后修正）
Definition and special protection of young workers
English translation · Unofficial
Article 58 The State shall provide special labour protection for female workers and young workers.
Young workers are workers who have reached the age of 16 but are under the age of 18.
Chinese original
第五十八条 国家对女职工和未成年工实行特殊劳动保护。
未成年工是指年满十六周岁未满十八周岁的劳动者。
Minimum employment age and special circumstances
English translation · Unofficial
Article 15 Employers shall not recruit minors under the age of 16.
Literature and arts, sports and special crafts entities recruiting minors under the age of 16 must comply with the relevant provisions of the State and guarantee their right to receive compulsory education.
Chinese original
第十五条 禁止用人单位招用未满十六周岁的未成年人。
文艺、体育和特种工艺单位招用未满十六周岁的未成年人，必须遵守国家有关规定，并保障其接受义务教育的权利。
Work prohibited for young workers
English translation · Unofficial
Article 64 Young workers shall not be assigned to underground mining work, toxic or harmful work, work involving Grade IV physical labour intensity as prescribed by the State, or other work prohibited for them.
Chinese original
第六十四条 不得安排未成年工从事矿山井下、有毒有害、国家规定的第四级体力劳动强度的劳动和其他禁忌从事的劳动。
Periodic health examinations
English translation · Unofficial
Article 65 Employers shall conduct periodic health examinations for young workers.
Chinese original
第六十五条 用人单位应当对未成年工定期进行健康检查。
General working-time provisions
English translation · Unofficial
Article 36 The State shall implement a working-time system under which workers work no more than eight hours per day and no more than forty-four hours per week on average.
Chinese original
第三十六条 国家实行劳动者每日工作时间不超过八小时、平均每周工作时间不超过四十四小时的工时制度。
Equal pay for equal work
English translation · Unofficial
Article 46 Wages shall be distributed according to the principle of distribution according to work, and equal pay shall be provided for equal work.
Wage levels shall gradually increase on the basis of economic development. The State shall exercise macro-level control over the aggregate wage bill.
Chinese original
第四十六条 工资分配应当遵循按劳分配原则，实行同工同酬。
工资水平在经济发展的基础上逐步提高。国家对工资总量实行宏观调控。
Provisions on the Prohibition of Child Labour
State Council Order No. 364, Provisions on the Prohibition of Child Labour (promulgated 2002)
国务院令第364号，禁止使用童工规定（2002年公布）
Definition and prohibition of child labour
English translation · Unofficial
Article 2 State organs, social groups, enterprises and public institutions, private non-enterprise entities and individual industrial and commercial households (hereinafter collectively referred to as “employers”) shall not recruit minors under the age of 16 (the recruitment of minors under the age of 16 is hereinafter referred to as “the use of child labour”).
No entity or individual shall arrange employment for minors under the age of 16.
Minors under the age of 16 shall not start individual businesses.
Chinese original
第二条 国家机关、社会团体、企业事业单位、民办非企业单位或者个体工商户（以下统称用人单位）均不得招用不满16周岁的未成年人（招用不满16周岁的未成年人，以下统称使用童工）。
禁止任何单位或者个人为不满16周岁的未成年人介绍就业。
禁止不满16周岁的未成年人开业从事个体经营活动。
Identity verification and retention of recruitment records
English translation · Unofficial
Article 4 When recruiting personnel, employers must check the identity cards of the persons being recruited; minors under the age of 16 shall not be hired in any case. Employers shall properly retain recruitment registration and verification materials for the personnel they hire.
Chinese original
第四条 用人单位招用人员时，必须核查被招用人员的身份证；对不满16周岁的未成年人，一律不得录用。用人单位录用人员的录用登记、核查材料应当妥善保管。
Penalties, return of children and responsibility for costs
English translation · Unofficial
Article 6 Where an employer uses child labour, the labour and social security administrative department shall impose a fine of CNY 5,000 per child per month. Where child labour is used in a workplace involving the use of toxic substances, a heavier penalty shall be imposed within the range of fines prescribed in the Regulations on Labour Protection in Workplaces Where Toxic Substances Are Used, or on the basis of the standard of CNY 5,000 per child per month. The labour and social security administrative department shall also order the employer to return the child, within a specified period, to the child’s original place of residence and hand the child over to the child’s parents or other guardians. All necessary transportation, accommodation and meal expenses shall be borne by the employer.
Where an employer, after being ordered by the labour and social security administrative department to make corrections within a specified period under the preceding paragraph, still fails to hand the child over to the child’s parents or other guardians upon expiry of that period, the labour and social security administrative department shall impose a fine of CNY 10,000 per child per month, calculated from the date of the order to make corrections within a specified period. The administrative department for industry and commerce shall revoke the employer’s business licence, or the civil affairs department shall cancel its registration as a private non-enterprise entity. Where the employer is a State organ or a public institution, the relevant entity shall, in accordance with law, impose an administrative or disciplinary sanction of demotion or removal from office on the persons directly in charge and other directly responsible persons.
Chinese original
第六条 用人单位使用童工的，由劳动保障行政部门按照每使用一名童工每月处5000元罚款的标准给予处罚；在使用有毒物品的作业场所使用童工的，按照《使用有毒物品作业场所劳动保护条例》规定的罚款幅度，或者按照每使用一名童工每月处5000元罚款的标准，从重处罚。劳动保障行政部门并应当责令用人单位限期将童工送回原居住地交其父母或者其他监护人，所需交通和食宿费用全部由用人单位承担。
用人单位经劳动保障行政部门依照前款规定责令限期改正，逾期仍不将童工送交其父母或者其他监护人的，从责令限期改正之日起，由劳动保障行政部门按照每使用一名童工每月处1万元罚款的标准处罚，并由工商行政管理部门吊销其营业执照或者由民政部门撤销民办非企业单位登记；用人单位是国家机关、事业单位的，由有关单位依法对直接负责的主管人员和其他直接责任人员给予降级或者撤职的行政处分或者纪律处分。
Medical treatment and compensation for illness, injury, disability or death
English translation · Unofficial
Article 10 Where a child used as child labour falls ill or is injured, the employer shall be responsible for sending the child to a medical institution for treatment and shall bear all medical and living expenses during treatment.
Where a child used as child labour becomes disabled or dies, the administrative department for industry and commerce shall revoke the employer’s business licence, or the civil affairs department shall cancel its registration as a private non-enterprise entity. Where the employer is a State organ or a public institution, the relevant entity shall, in accordance with law, impose an administrative or disciplinary sanction of demotion or removal from office on the persons directly in charge and other directly responsible persons. The employer shall also pay lump-sum compensation to the disabled child or to the lineal relatives of the deceased child. The amount of compensation shall be calculated in accordance with the relevant State provisions on work-related injury insurance.
Chinese original
第十条 童工患病或者受伤的，用人单位应当负责送到医疗机构治疗，并负担治疗期间的全部医疗和生活费用。
童工伤残或者死亡的，用人单位由工商行政管理部门吊销营业执照或者由民政部门撤销民办非企业单位登记；用人单位是国家机关、事业单位的，由有关单位依法对直接负责的主管人员和其他直接责任人员给予降级或者撤职的行政处分或者纪律处分；用人单位还应当一次性地对伤残的童工、死亡童工的直系亲属给予赔偿，赔偿金额按照国家工伤保险的有关规定计算。
Special provisions for arts, sports and educational practical work
English translation · Unofficial
Article 13 With the consent of a minor’s parents or other guardians, literature and arts entities and sports entities may recruit professional arts workers and athletes under the age of 16. Employers shall safeguard the physical and mental health of the minors under the age of 16 whom they recruit and guarantee their right to receive compulsory education. Measures governing the recruitment of professional arts workers and athletes under the age of 16 by literature and arts entities and sports entities shall be formulated by the labour and social security administrative department of the State Council jointly with the cultural and sports administrative departments of the State Council.
Educational practical work and vocational skills training work organised for minors under the age of 16 by schools, other educational institutions and vocational training institutions in accordance with the relevant State provisions, and which do not adversely affect their personal safety or physical and mental health, shall not constitute the use of child labour.
Chinese original
第十三条 文艺、体育单位经未成年人的父母或者其他监护人同意，可以招用不满16周岁的专业文艺工作者、运动员。用人单位应当保障被招用的不满16周岁的未成年人的身心健康，保障其接受义务教育的权利。文艺、体育单位招用不满16周岁的专业文艺工作者、运动员的办法，由国务院劳动保障行政部门会同国务院文化、体育行政部门制定。
学校、其他教育机构以及职业培训机构按照国家有关规定组织不满16周岁的未成年人进行不影响其人身安全和身心健康的教育实践劳动、职业技能培训劳动，不属于使用童工。
Provisions on Special Protection for Young Workers
Lao Bu Fa [1994] No. 498, Provisions on Special Protection for Young Workers (promulgated 1994)
劳部发〔1994〕498号，未成年工特殊保护规定（1994年公布）
Specific categories of work prohibited for young workers
English translation · Unofficial
Article 3 Employers shall not assign young workers to the following types of work:
Chinese original
第三条 用人单位不得安排未成年工从事以下范围的劳动：
Timing of health examinations
English translation · Unofficial
Article 6 Employers shall conduct periodic health examinations for young workers as follows:
Chinese original
第六条 用人单位应按下列要求对未成年工定期进行健康检查：
Assignment and adjustment of work based on health
English translation · Unofficial
Article 8 Employers shall assign young workers to suitable work according to the results of their health examinations. Where a young worker is unable to perform the original job, the employer shall reduce the workload or assign other work on the basis of a certificate issued by a medical department.
Chinese original
第八条 用人单位应根据未成年工的健康检查结果安排其从事适合的劳动，对不能胜任原劳动岗位的，应根据医务部门的证明，予以减轻劳动量或安排其他劳动。
Registration of young workers
English translation · Unofficial
Article 9 A registration system shall apply to the employment and special protection of young workers.
Chinese original
第九条 对未成年工的使用和特殊保护实行登记制度。
Pre-work training and responsibility for examination and registration costs
English translation · Unofficial
Article 10 Before young workers take up work, employers shall provide them with relevant occupational safety and health education and training. Employers shall arrange health examinations and registration for young workers and bear the associated costs.
Chinese original
第十条 未成年工上岗前用人单位应对其进行有关的职业安全卫生教育、培训；未成年工体检和登记，由用人单位统一办理和承担费用。
Law on the Protection of Minors
Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Minors (promulgated 1991, last amended 2024)
中华人民共和国未成年人保护法（1991年公布，2024年最后修正）
Definition of minors
English translation · Unofficial
Article 2 For the purposes of this Law, minors are citizens under the age of 18.
Chinese original
第二条 本法所称未成年人是指未满十八周岁的公民。
Fundamental rights and equal protection of minors
English translation · Unofficial
Article 3 The State shall safeguard minors’ rights to survival, development, protection and participation, among other rights.
Minors shall enjoy all rights equally in accordance with law and shall not be discriminated against on the grounds of their own or their parents’ or other guardians’ ethnicity, race, sex, household registration, occupation, religious belief, level of education, family circumstances, or physical or mental health.
Chinese original
第三条 国家保障未成年人的生存权、发展权、受保护权、参与权等权利。
未成年人依法平等地享有各项权利，不因本人及其父母或者其他监护人的民族、种族、性别、户籍、职业、宗教信仰、教育程度、家庭状况、身心健康状况等受到歧视。
Best interests of minors and consideration of their views
English translation · Unofficial
Article 4 The protection of minors shall adhere to the principle of acting in their best interests. The handling of matters involving minors shall meet the following requirements:
Chinese original
第四条 保护未成年人，应当坚持最有利于未成年人的原则。处理涉及未成年人事项，应当符合下列要求：
Shared protective responsibilities of enterprises and other parties
English translation · Unofficial
Article 6 The protection of minors is the shared responsibility of State organs, armed forces, political parties, people’s organisations, enterprises and public institutions, social organisations, urban and rural community-level self-governance organisations, minors’ guardians and other adults.
The State, society, schools and families shall educate and assist minors in safeguarding their lawful rights and interests and enhance their awareness and capacity for self-protection.
Chinese original
第六条 保护未成年人，是国家机关、武装力量、政党、人民团体、企业事业单位、社会组织、城乡基层群众性自治组织、未成年人的监护人以及其他成年人的共同责任。
国家、社会、学校和家庭应当教育和帮助未成年人维护自身合法权益，增强自我保护的意识和能力。
Restrictions on recruitment and labour protection for minors
English translation · Unofficial
Article 61 No organisation or individual shall recruit minors under the age of 16, except as otherwise provided by the State.
Commercial entertainment venues, bars, premises providing commercial internet access services and other places unsuitable for minors’ activities shall not recruit minors who have reached the age of 16.
Entities and individuals recruiting minors who have reached the age of 16 shall comply with State provisions on types of work, working hours, labour intensity and protective measures. They shall not assign minors to excessively strenuous, toxic, harmful or other work endangering their physical or mental health, or to hazardous operations.
No organisation or individual shall organise minors to participate in performances or other activities that endanger their physical or mental health. Where minors participate in performances, programme production or similar activities with the consent of their parents or other guardians, the organisers shall safeguard the minors’ lawful rights and interests in accordance with the relevant State provisions.
Chinese original
第六十一条 任何组织或者个人不得招用未满十六周岁未成年人，国家另有规定的除外。
营业性娱乐场所、酒吧、互联网上网服务营业场所等不适宜未成年人活动的场所不得招用已满十六周岁的未成年人。
招用已满十六周岁未成年人的单位和个人应当执行国家在工种、劳动时间、劳动强度和保护措施等方面的规定，不得安排其从事过重、有毒、有害等危害未成年人身心健康的劳动或者危险作业。
任何组织或者个人不得组织未成年人进行危害其身心健康的表演等活动。经未成年人的父母或者其他监护人同意，未成年人参与演出、节目制作等活动，活动组织方应当根据国家有关规定，保障未成年人合法权益。
Mapping Gap
Scope
The observations below compare the supplied D1 requirements with the national legislation selected above. “No direct equivalent identified” describes a limitation of this mapping; it does not establish that no relevant provision exists elsewhere in Chinese law. Local, sector-specific and student-internship requirements may provide additional protection.
D1.2 — Minimum employment age: the general Chinese threshold is higher.
Chinese law generally prohibits employment below age 16, compared with the baseline age of 15 stated in D1.2. The higher applicable legal threshold must therefore be observed. The narrowly defined exceptions for certain activities do not create general permission to employ children below 16. Completion of compulsory schooling alone does not remove the age restriction.
D1.3(d)(i) — Eight-hour daily limit: ordinary working hours and total working hours must be distinguished.
Article 36 of the Labour Law establishes an eight-hour ordinary working day. However, Article 41 permits extensions under specified conditions. Article 36 alone therefore does not establish an absolute eight-hour ceiling covering all work, including overtime, for every young worker. The daily ceiling in D1.3(d)(i) is more restrictive than this general statutory arrangement.
D1.3(d)(ii) — Combined school, work and transportation time: no direct equivalent identified.
No provision in the selected national legislation was identified that expressly limits the combined time spent at school, at work and in transportation to ten hours per day. General education and working-time protections should not be presented as an exact equivalent of this numerical limit.
D1.3(d)(iii) — Night work: no general prohibition covering all young workers identified.
No provision in the selected national legislation was identified that universally prohibits night work for all workers aged 16–17. Restrictions protecting other categories of workers should not be treated as a general prohibition for young workers. Additional rules applicable to student internships or particular locations require separate consideration.
D1.3(c) — Comparable pay and benefits: partial legal correspondence.
Article 46 of the Labour Law supports equal pay for equal work. It does not, by itself, expressly reproduce the complete requirement that both pay and benefits for young workers be commensurate with those of adults in similar positions. This is a mapping limitation, not a finding that young workers lack statutory benefit entitlements.
D1.4(b)–(d) — Non-working children in work-related environments: no complete operational equivalent identified.
The Law on the Protection of Minors establishes broad protective responsibilities, including responsibilities for enterprises. However, the selected provisions do not reproduce the specific package of organisational duties in D1.4(b)–(d): providing age-appropriate basic needs, ensuring adequate and continuous adult supervision, and ensuring non-interference with organisational processes. Duties assigned by law to parents or guardians should not automatically be presented as identical duties imposed on every employer.
D1.5 — Management systems across operations and business relationships: no one-to-one legal equivalent identified.
The selected legislation imposes concrete duties such as age verification, record retention, health examinations, registration and pre-work training. These duties provide legal foundations for parts of a management system. They do not, individually or collectively within this selection, reproduce the full M1–M10 framework or its application throughout the organisation’s operations and business relationships.