MANCHESTER, NH – Each year, employers hire millions of young people in the food services, retail, recreation and construction industries to add staff to meet their labor needs during peak periods. At the same time, and in response to increases in violations of federal child labor laws, the U.S. Department of Labor has increased its employer outreach and enforcement actions to help employers prevent young workers’ jobs from jeopardizing their safety and well-being.

Since 2015, the department’s Wage and Hour Division has seen increases in child labor investigations and Fair Labor Standards Act violations. In fiscal year 2021, the division found 2,819 minors employed in violation of the law and assessed employers with nearly $3.4 million in civil money penalties.

This year, the division’s Northern New England District Office in Manchester has taken strong enforcement actions, including conducting investigations that found these child labor violations in the food services industry:

• At nine McDonald’s franchise locations in Vermont and New Hampshire, Coughlin Inc. allowed 142 workers – ages 14- and 15-years-old – to work beyond the number of hours federal law permits. Additionally, it allowed 18 workers – ages 14- and 15-years-old – to use deep-fat fryers not equipped with devices to automatically raise and lower the fry baskets and allowed four minors to use an oven to bake. Two minors received burns while performing restricted work. The employer paid $109,125 in assessed...

Read Full Story: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20220912-1