What are the guidelines under the law for children who work in family businesses?

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A family business is any work or business which is done or run by the members of the family. The business could belong to or be run by an immediate family (mother, father, brother or sister) or extended family (father’s sister and brother, or mother’s sister and brother).Some guidelines to be followed under the child labour law in India for employing a child in a family business are:

The child can only work in a family enterprise to help his or her own family and only work for the family.
The child cannot be given work during school hours and between 7 pm and 8 am.
The child cannot be engaged in tasks which may severely affect his education or homework or extra-curricular activity assigned to him or her.
The child cannot be engaged in continuous tasks without rest which would make him or her tired. It is important to provide care and support for the child by providing breaks to refresh his health and mind. That is why the law states that the child should not work continuously for more than 3 hours.

If a parent forces a child or adolescent to work in any prohibited occupation under the law, then they will be punished. The law does give them a chance to correct their wrong – when they are caught doing this the first time, they can settle it by paying money. However, if they make their child work again in violation of the law, they can be punished with a fine of up to Rs. 10,000.

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