The United States Department of Labor imposed fines of almost $50,000 on the owner of a franchise of the Baskin Robbins restaurant chain in Utahh for violation of child labor laws, the government reported this Thursday.
An investigation by the department found that a franchisee violated federal law by making 64 teenagers “work too late in the day and too many hours in the week” while school was in session, according to a news release.
Department of Labor inspectors determined that the employer allowed 64 underage employeesbetween 14 and 15 years old, will work too late in the day.
“The employer stated that he relied on erroneous legal guidance that advised him to follow state laws and that (he) was not aware of federal requirements,” the agency added. “Several record-keeping violations were also detected.”
Kevin Hunt, director of the Wage and Hour Division in Salt Lake City, said, “Employers must be aware of and comply with all federal labor standards, especially when it comes to young workers.”
“When there is a disparity between federal and state laws, employers must follow the highest standards“he explained. “We encourage both employers and employees to contact our office directly for accurate information regarding federal labor laws.”
Although this was not the case, experts say that the United States is facing a wave of child labor exploitation. In 2022 alone, federal inspectors found nearly 4,000 children working illegally.
A survey released in May 2023 by the Economic Policy Institute showed that, in the last two years, at least 14 of the 50 US states have discussed local laws that reduce barriers to child labor exploitation.
The projects of The law authorizes, for example, the employment of 14-year-old children in 6-hour night shifts and in heavy work.
16-year-olds may be admitted to risky or physically demanding activities, such as demolitions or slaughterhouses, or even serving alcohol in bars (although it is illegal to drink before the age of 21 in the country). Some of the bills also provide for them to be paid half that of adults.
Each of the 50 states can legislate on the subject, but federal regulations indicate that young people aged 14 and 15 can work a maximum of 3 hours a day during the school period, never after 7:00 p.m., and prohibits activities in sectors such as construction or the food industry, considered “oppressive to children” by US law.
Adolescents of 16 or 17 years old cannot work with explosives, mining and road works, among others.
After reporting a 69% increase in child labor incidents last year compared to 2018, the US Department of Labor announced in late February that it already had at least 600 investigations open in 2023 alone.
*With information from EFE and BBC.
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