Information for Young People (18-24)

Between the ages of 18-24, you are considered both an adult and a young person.

As young people, it is important for you to have your say on issues that matter to you and to be involved in policy and decision-making processes about matters affecting you.

As a young person, some of the challenges you face, and issues you come across are unique to your age group and are rarely experienced by younger children. Below are a range of resources about human rights topics we think might interest you.

If you have any questions or think there are other topics we should cover for your age group, contact us or have a say on our Young Thinker Forum.

What are my rights at work?

As a young person entering the workforce, it is important to understand your rights and your employers’ obligations to you.

WorkSafe ACT ran sessions and forums with young people across the ACT to find out what work, health and safety issues they experience. Some of these include:

• Inadequate training
• Lack of information about Work, Health and Safety (WHS) obligations of employers to young people
• Poor understanding by employers of psychological risks in the workplace like work-related violence, sexual harassment when mismanaging these issues
• Mental health issues
• Not knowing where to report or how to report
• Fear of reporting impacting their work.

WorkSafe ACT is a great website to get trusted information about your rights in the workplace, your employer’s obligations, how to raise issues with your employer and much more.

Here is some information to help you begin navigating employment, and to inform you about your rights as an employee.

What are my rights online?

Young people are the biggest users of online information and entertainment.  You may face challenges balancing your rights to protection, with your rights to participation and information.

There are lots of supports you can access. One is the E-Safety Commission website. It has information and contacts to help you understand the risks and challenges of the online world and what to do if something bad happens to you online.

Where can I get free legal advice?

As a young person in the ACT, there are services available to provide you with legal help and advice, free of charge. Free legal service providers may be able to answer your questions and provide support with legal matters.

The table below shows what types of legal services the following law centres may assist you with. There are still more issues that you can receive assistance for, so read their websites for more information.

We have tried to be accurate but this information is an indication only and you should contact the law centres directly to check what services they offer.