The Department of Labor fined a Fort Wayne, Ind., company more than $42,000 for child labor violations discovered at 11 of its locations in Indiana and Michigan.
H&H Coldwater LLC, which runs 11 Dairy Queen franchise locations in the two states, was fined for the alleged Fair Labor Standards Act violations found in an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, according to a Sept. 26 news release.
“Franchisees like H&H Coldwater provide teen workers an opportunity to learn customer services and other skills that prepare them for successful careers but as employers, they have an obligation to ensure child labor laws are followed,” Wage and Hour Division District Director Patricia Lewis said in the release. “Child labor laws protect teens’ health and ensure their first job experiences are positive and manageable with schooling and other commitments.”
The Wage and Hour Division discovered 102 juveniles between the ages of 14 and 15 working at various Dairy Queen locations in violation of Child Labor Regulation No. 3 regarding working hours and time regulations, the release reported.
Employees aged 14 and 15 are forbidden from working after 9 p.m. from June 1 to Labor Day, or after 7 p.m. the rest of the year, the release reported. While school is in session, they can work a maximum of three hours on a school day, eight hours during a non-school day and a total of 18 hours per week.
