Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- The U.S. Labor Department announced today that Wal-Mart Stores Inc., headquartered in Bentonville, Ark., has paid $31,680 in civil money penalties for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) youth employment provisions. The violations of Hazardous Occupation Order No. 12 occurred at stores located in Hanover, Pa., and Pewaukee, Wis. The civil money penalties assessed by the department’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) were the maximum allowable under the department’s guidelines for the nature of violations found.

WHD investigators found that two minors, ages 16 and 17, illegally loaded a scrap paper baler and a paper box compactor in the Pewaukee store. In the Hanover store, eight minors, also ages 16 and 17, loaded a scrap paper baler machine in violation of the law and one minor operated the paper baler. All the violations at the Pewaukee store and most of the violations at the Hanover store occurred in late summer and fall 2005. One violation at Hanover occurred while a minor was employed during the December 2003 holiday period.

The FLSA establishes the rules governing the employment of youth under the age of 18. These youth employment provisions, also known as the child labor laws, are designed to ensure that early work experiences are safe and do not jeopardize the health, well-being or educational opportunities of young workers.

The FLSA prohibits the employment of minors under the age of 18 years in any nonagricultural occupations that the department has declared hazardous. There are currently 17 hazardous occupation orders identifying the hazardous occupations. Hazardous Occupation Order No. 12 generally prohibits minors under the age of 18 from loading, operating, and unloading certain power-driven paper-product machines, including scrap paper balers and paper box compactors.

The Labor Department’s YouthRules! Web site, www.youthrules.dol.gov, is designed to educate employers, young workers, educators and parents about youth employment, the jobs they may perform and the hours they may work. For further information about FLSA requirements, call the Wage and Hour Division’s toll-free help line at (866) 4USWAGE (487-9243), or visit the Web site at www.wagehour.dol.gov.

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