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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:

Following the division’s investigations, Coughlin Inc. and Vermont Donut Enterprises signed enhanced compliance agreements designed to reduce future child labor violations. The agreements include the following “best practice” measures that employers with minor-aged workers should consider implementing:

“Ensuring the safety of our youngest workers and bringing employers into compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act’s child labor restrictions are high priorities for the Wage and Hour Division,” said Wage and Hour District Director Steven McKinney in Manchester, New Hampshire. “We encourage employers to be proactive and to use best practice measures to ensure they protect young workers.”

“As the labor market tightens, employers may look to younger workers to fill job vacancies. However, there are limits on what jobs young workers can perform and how often they can work,” McKinney added. “We urge employers to review our YouthRules! initiative  materials and Seven Child Labor Best Practices for Employers  web site. Employers may also contact the Wage and Hour Division directly with questions they may have regarding how to keep minors safe in the workplace.”

The division’s Northern New England District Office in Manchester is also offering free webinars for employers, parents and educators to learn more about the FLSA’s youth employment protections on Sept. 29 from 10-11 a.m. and Oct. 6 from 2-3 p.m. While attendance is free, registration is required. Register for Sept. 29 webinar . Register for the Oct. 6 webinar .

For more information about young workers’ rights and other employee rights enforced by the division,  contact the toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Workers can call the Wage and Hour Division confidentially with questions regardless of immigration status, and the department can speak with callers in more than 200 languages.

Read a fact sheet on Fair Labor Standards Act wage protections and the restaurant industry. The division offers information for employers and for young workers, parents and educators about child labor to promote positive and safe work experiences for teens.

200 Constitution Ave NW Washington, DC 20210 1-866-4-USA-DOL 1-866-487-2365 www.dol.gov