SALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. Department of Labor found four soda shops in Utah violating child labor laws.

The operators of a Utah-born specialty beverage and dessert shop called “Sodalicious” illegally allowed 19 young teens to work more hours and times than lawfully permitted, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The chain was founded in Utah in 2013 by Annie and Kevin Auernig. Today there are 26 locations, with four in Idaho, six in Arizona, and 16 in Utah. Four of those in Utah were found violating child labor laws.

The press release said that federal labor law prohibits the employment of workers under the age of 14 in non-agricultural settings. 14 and 15-year-old employees must work outside of school hours and cannot work:

• More than 3 hours on a school day, including Friday.
• More than 18 hours per week when school is in session.
• More than 8 hours per day when school is not in session.
• More than 40 hours per week when school is not in session.
• Before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on any day, except from June 1 through Labor Day, when nighttime work hours are extended to 9 p.m.

During and after the pandemic there was a rise in young workers entering the workforce, and the department’s Wage and Hour division noticed a national annual increase in child labor law violations of 37% in 2022. As part of the division’s heightened enforcement efforts, an investigation began and found more than 3,800 minors were employed in violation of child labor laws,...

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