PORTLAND, OR – As the summer hiring season looms, employers are offering more opportunities for youth-aged workers to earn money and gain work experience than in recent years. In preparation for their early ventures into the working world, young workers should familiarize themselves – and employers should review practices and ensure compliance –with federal labor laws designed to ensure that the experience is rewarding and safe.
In Idaho and Oregon, three recent investigations of grocery store operators by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division led to assessments of more than $240,000 in civil money penalties and the recovery of $114,382 in overtime back wages and liquidated damages for 266 workers. Most penalties were related to child labor violations.
“Summer and seasonal work offers young people a unique opportunity to get valuable workplace experience while earning money, but it should never come at the expense of their education or safety,” said Acting Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman. “Employers who hire youth-aged workers are obligated to comply with federal child labor laws to ensure the experience is safe and beneficial for workers.”
Specifically, the findings of the investigations of the three employers were as follows:
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