Dive Brief:

• SDI of Neil LLC, the owner and operator of six Sonic Drive-In locations in Nevada, paid $71,182 in civil penalties for allegedly allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to work more hours and at times not permitted by federal child labor regulations, the U.S. Department of Labor announced May 30.
• Following an investigation, the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division found that SDI and its owners violated more than 170 child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act at the Reno-area locations, the DOL said. In addition to allegedly letting young teens work impermissible hours, SDI allegedly let them operate manual deep fryers, a prohibited task considered hazardous for workers under 16, according to the DOL.
• At one location, SDI allegedly hired a 13-year-old, which is under the legal age for employment in restaurants and other nonagricultural jobs, the DOL added. “The Fair Labor Standards Act allows for developmental experiences but restricts the employment of young workers in certain jobs and provides for penalties when employers do not follow the law,” WHD Las Vegas District Director Gene Ramos stated in the announcement. The division also recovered $274 in overtime back wages and liquidated damages for two young workers, the DOL said.

Dive Insight:

This case reminds employers gearing up for summer hiring to make sure managers are trained on the FLSA’s child labor laws, a “best practice” the DOL recommends for protecting teen workers from injury and avoiding liability...

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