According to a U.S. Department of Labor press release, a federal court in Kentucky has ordered Win.IT America Inc., a distribution center operator in Hebron, to stop illegally employing children and adhere to federal child labor laws. The action was taken to combat the alarming increase in child labor violations in the U.S., as stated by Juan Coria, the Wage and Hour Division representative.
The U.S. Department of Labor conducted an investigation in August 2023, which revealed that Win.IT America had employed two children, aged 11 and 13, for several months. The violations included assigning hazardous tasks such as operating forklifts and picking warehouse orders, roles that are prohibited for workers under specific age limits. The judgment was entered in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky on Sept. 8, 2023.
In addition to ceasing these illegal practices, the court ordered Win.IT America to pay $30,276 in civil penalties. The company was also mandated to hire a third-party consultant to provide semi-annual compliance training to all management personnel for a period of three years.
Tremelle Howard, Regional Solicitor in Atlanta, emphasized the importance of compliance with federal child labor regulations. He stated, "Businesses must comply with the federal child labor regulations. Federal law ensures young workers can benefit by gaining valuable work experience without endangering their safety or hampering their education."
The U.S. Department of Labor press release also highlighted the significant increase in child labor violations nationwide in fiscal year 2022, involving 3,876 children. Employers faced over $4.3 million in civil money penalties for these violations.