The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division recently held a Southeast Region for a Child Labor Lunch and Learn webinar in an effort to ensure that employers know the legalities of hiring minors.
According to a release by the DOL, millions of minors join the workforce each year with much of that coming in the food industry. Some employers do not know the rules and legal obligations surrounding these hires, and over a two-year period there are $1 million in penalties for violations. The webinar was focused on curbing this issue.
“In nearly 200 closed investigations, the Wage and Hour Division found employers allowed minors to work longer hours or more frequently than permitted, without knowledge of the workers’ ages," Wage and Hour Division Regional Administrator Juan Coria said. "In over half of those cases, the employers also allowed minors to do dangerous or prohibited work. The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to preventing child labor violations, ensuring the safety of young workers, and ensuring that youth gain the benefits of work experience without suffering a negative effect on their academic progress.”
In the Southeast, the Wage and Hour Division found that more than 190 food service industry employers had violations. There were also $1.5 million in back wages and liquidated damages for more than 2,000 workers. The southeast regional office covers Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Common child labor violations found by investigators included: hours starts laws for 14- and 15-year-olds; allowing 14- through 17-year-olds to engage in prohibited or hazardous jobs; and failing to keep accurate records for youth workers.
The DOL has put together a fact sheet for employing youth in restaurants that outlines the rules, including that legal age for employment is 14, but under strict requirements.
