A recent investigation by the Department of Labor (DOL) found that 11 franchisees in 6 
states of the Utah-based Crumbl Cookies bakery company violated federal child labor laws.
According to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), whether school is in session or not, 14 and 15-year-old workers cannot work more than eight hours per day (or exceed 40 hours per work week). Additionally, employers must not allow these individuals to work before 7:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. on any day, except from June 1 through Labor Day, when nighttime work hours are extended to 9:00 p.m. All workers under the age of 18 are also banned from occupations considered hazardous by federal law.
Crumbl’s violations resulted in a penalty assessment of $57,854.
This is an important reminder to all business owner that is important to understand both state and federal laws when it comes to employing anyone under 18 years of age.
For more information on federal regulations when it comes to child labor laws check out the website for the Department of Labors (DOL), Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Child Labor at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/child-labor along a summary of Child Labor Laws by state at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/child-labor/agriculture#age.