Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
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U.S. Labor Department cites Hart Management Inc. of Blair, Neb., for child labor violations
Company fined nearly $8,000 following investigation at its Superior, Neb., Pizza Hut
OMAHA, Neb. -- Hart Management Inc., Blair, Neb., doing business as Pizza Hut, has paid $7,865 in civil money penalties for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) child labor provisions disclosed during a recent investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division.
Hart Management, which owns 10 Pizza Hut restaurants throughout the Midwest, was cited following an investigation at its Superior, Neb., Pizza Hut that found violations of the Labor Department’s hazardous orders, hazardous occupations regulations and hours-time standards.
“Youth workers gain valuable experience and make great contributions to the labor force, but employers must comply with applicable federal and state child labor laws,” said Percella Maupins, the Wage and Hour Division’s district director in Des Moines, Iowa. “These laws help ensure the safety of our youth workforce while providing a balance between work and school.”
The Wage and Hour Division’s Des Moines District Office conducted the investigation as part of an ongoing effort to increase FLSA compliance in the restaurant industry.
Specifically, the hazardous orders violations relate to three 17-year-old employees who regularly operated a motor vehicle. In addition, five minor employees regularly worked until 8 to 10 p.m. between Labor Day and June 1 in violation of the FLSA’s hours-time standards, and two minors performed baking duties in violation of the Labor Department’s hazardous occupations regulations.
The FLSA’s child labor provisions identify 17 hazardous orders that prohibit specific activities for workers under 18. The law further states that minors may not work more than three hours on school days, eight hours on nonschool days, 18 hours during school weeks or 40 hours during nonschool weeks. Also, 14- and 15-year-olds may work during nonschool hours but no later than 7 p.m. (9 p.m. from June 1 until Labor Day).
For more information on youth employment laws, visit the Labor Department’s Web site at http://www.youthrules.dol.gov or call the department’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).
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