As employers hire more young workers in the summer months, the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor noticed child labor investigations and infractions have surged since 2015.
The division discovered 2,819 children working illegally in fiscal year 2021 and fined employers roughly $3.4 million in civil money penalties, according to a July 29 press release.
“The safety of young workers and significant reductions in child labor violations are top priorities for the U.S. Department of Labor,” Principal Deputy Wage & Hour Division Administrator Jessica Looman said, according to the release.
The Wage and Hour Division also investigates cases involving young employees who die, including three in 2021 and one in 2022, the release reported.
Employers who hire young workers must meet the legal responsibility to understand and abide by federal laws that deal with their employment, Looman said, according to the release. That includes eliminating exposure to hazardous occupations and prohibited equipment and preventing the workers from suffering serious injuries or worse.
The Wage and Hour Division is determined to significantly lower child labor injuries and violations, she said, the release reported. Young workers and their parents, educators and employers are asked to make use of the department’s YouthRules! Initiative that promotes positive and safe work experiences for young workers.
