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“The investigation showed us just what the Department of Labor was hoping to see: more and
more establishments in the food industry are complying with youth employment regulations,”
said Thomas Perez, the Secretary of Labor.
However, over half of the violations in each industry were hours and time of day standards.
Total, 87% of the violations involved youth working more than an hour past the time standard.
On the other hand, the investigation found that compliance with minimum wage and overtime
provisions for youth was almost universal.
“It’s important that we always make sure kids are working in safe environments and being
treated fairly,” said Secretary Perez. “The Department of Labor will always make sure that we
keep employers in compliance, without discouraging them from hiring youth. It’s important that
we still give our kids the opportunity to get out there and get valuable work experience in a safe
environment.”
The Department of Labor will conduct a follow­up investigation in 2018 that focuses on
increasing compliance with hours and time of day standards for youth employment.
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