U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division Hosts Free Child Labor Webinar Series
As a law enforcement agency, the Wage and Hour Division is responsible for administering and enforcing a number of federal laws which set basic labor standards, among them:
Positive and safe work experiences can allow young people to develop skills, earn money, and learn what it means to be part of the labor force. But a job should not jeopardize a child’s well-being or their educational opportunities. Currently, the Wage and Hour Division has more than 800 child labor cases under investigation.
- Concluded 955 cases involving child labor violations in FY 2023, a 14% increase over FY2022.
- Enforcement actions impacted nearly 5,800 children who were employed in violation of the law, marking an 88% increase since 2019.
- WHD assessed more than $8 million in civil monetary penalties against employers, an 83% increase from 2022.
- In February 2023, WHD announced one of the largest child labor cases issuing a penalty of $1.5 million against Packer’s Sanitation Services Inc for employing more than 100 children at 13 facilities across 8 states to work the night shift to clean meat processing plants. A minor who died in a poultry plant accident got the job with the identity of a 32-year-old, company confirms (nbcnews.com)
As part of its outreach efforts, WHD continues to look for new ways to provide and educate employees and employers with vital information on the federal laws it enforces.
The Midwest Region will host a FREE webinar series to increase the understanding of federal child labor law provisions. This event is part of a nationwide effort intended to keep young workers’ safe and healthy on the job.
April 30, 2024
10am-11am EST
Click HERE to Register for April 30th
May 14, 2024
2pm-3pm EST
Click HERE to Register for May 14th
These events are open to employers, managers, HR professionals, and parents and will include the following topics:
- An overview of federal child labor laws
- Hours 14- and 15-year-olds can work
- Dangerous jobs prohibited for 14- and 15-year-olds
- Dangerous jobs prohibited for all young workers including 16- and 17-year-olds
- Most Common violations
The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is committed to equitable access and inclusion. As part of this commitment, WHD will ensure that people with disabilities are provided accommodations and effective communications. If you require an accommodation or language interpretation in order to attend this event, please email Murguia.Trini@dol.gov no later than April 22, 2024 so we can make arrangements.
If you have questions, please email Calderon.Danielle@dol.gov or Murguia.Trini@dol.gov.
Fact Sheets: https://www.dol.gov/whd/fact-sheets-index.htm
Laws & Regulations: https://www.dol.gov/whd/reg-library.htm
Child Labor: https://www.dol.gov/whd/childlabor.htm
Handy Reference Guide: http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/wh1282.pdf
Family Medical Leave: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla
