Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. -- The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division announced that Shop-Rite Supermarkets, a New Jersey grocery store chain owned by Foodarama, has paid $322,410 in civil money penalties for allowing minors to work in violation of the youth employment provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The violations were disclosed following a Wage and Hour investigation conducted along the Jersey Shore as part of a youth employment compliance initiative. The investigation, covering the period April 1, 2002 through March 31, 2004, revealed that the Freehold, N.J.-based Corporation permitted 129 minors to work on paper balers and other dangerous equipment deemed hazardous for under-age workers. The company also employed 82 young workers beyond the hours allowed under federal law. The violations occurred in 11 Shop-Rite Supermarkets in Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

“The Labor Department is committed to ensuring that all workers have safe and rewarding work experiences,” said Corlis Sellers, regional administrator of the Wage and Hour Northeast Region. “Restrictions on youth employment are designed to protect young workers and provide positive work experiences. Working too long and on dangerous equipment is not acceptable.”

Fourteen and 15-year-olds may work outside school hours, but not before 7 a.m., and not later than 7 p.m. (9 p.m. from June 1 until Labor Day). They may not work more than three hours on a school day or more than 18 hours in a school week. They may work up to eight hours on a non-school day and 40 hours in a non-school week. Certain jobs for workers under 18 years of age are prohibited under the Secretary of Labor’s hazardous occupation orders.

The investigation was conducted by the department’s Southern New Jersey Wage and Hour district office, 3131 Princeton Pike, Bldg. 5, room 216, Lawrenceville, N.J. 08648.

In May 2002, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao launched YouthRules!, a public awareness campaign to educate young workers, parents and employers about the jobs that young people can perform and the hours they can work. Information is available on the Internet at www.youthrules.dol.gov. For additional information about the FLSA, call the Department of Labor’s toll-free help line at 1-866-4USWAGE or visit www.wagehour.dol.gov.

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