Distribution center to pay $30,276 for employing children as young as 12 years old

An investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has discovered that Win.IT America Inc. has been violating child labor laws. The department has acquired a federal consent judgment that requires the company to stop employing children illegally. The investigation, which was conducted in August, found that the warehouse and distribution center employed two children under the age of 14 for months. Win.IT America violated several child labor provisions in the Fair Labor Standards Act, including having underage workers operate a forklift and having minors pick orders in the warehouse. The company will have to pay $30,276 in civil money penalties, and managers will have to participate in semi-annual compliance training for the next three years.

In a recent quote, Wage and Hour Division Regional Administrator Juan Coria said, “The Wage and Hour Division is committed to combating the alarming increase in child labor violations in the U.S.. Employers are responsible for taking all appropriate actions to verify that they are not illegally employing children. When they fail to meet these obligations, we will act swiftly to hold them accountable and protect our nation’s youth.”