All 14 and 15 year old workers in Virginia are required to obtain an Employment Certificate (Work Permit) prior to performing any work. Children under the age of 16 may not be employed in any gainful occupation during school hours.Employment Certificate. Generally, no child under 14 years of age may be employed in any gainful occupation. No child under 16 years of age may be employed during school hours. However, employers of minors under age 18 must obtain and keep on file proof of the minor's age. In Virginia, only two categories of employees can be paid a lower rate than the state minimum. O Can start delivering newspapers at am o Not during school hours o Only 3 hours in a school day o Only 18 hours in a school week. In Virginia, child labor laws generally prohibit anyone under 14 years old from working and require work permits for children under 16. Child labor laws in Virginia prohibit minors under the age of 14 from working.