A Wisconsin pizza parlor has been fined for underage workers cleaning meat grinders, cleaning hot ovens, and working overtime.
The Department of Labor found that Ironbluebear Inc. (Ironblubear), operator of Pizza Parlor, must pay $99,882 in civil money penalties for violating child labor standards.
Federal labor laws are strict about the hours young employees can work and the situations in which they can be placed. According to employment watchdogs, Ironblubear breached those standards and laws to the point that it put those young employees at risk.
“Learning new skills in the workforce is an important part of growing up – but we must protect children and ensure their first jobs are safe and do not interfere with their education or well-being,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Kristin Tout in Minneapolis.
Pizza Parlor violates labor laws
Michelle Drougas, the owner of the Wisconsin restaurant, was found to have illegally employed 11 children due to a Wage and Hour Division investigation.
The report states, “Six children were employed to operate and clean a meat grinder and seven children drove motor vehicles on public roadways to deliver orders. These activities are prohibited by hazardous occupation orders under the Fair Labor Standards Act. One child younger than 16 was employed to use an oven heated to between 500 and 900 degrees Fahrenheit to help prepare and cook pizza.”
As a result of the findings, Drougas and Ironblubear are set to pay the $99,882 in installments. The owner and company have reportedly made the initial $33,294 payment and will continue to clear the balance until Sept. 30, 2025.
The company will also introduce stickers to the workplace that are part of the Wage and Hour Division’s Youth Employment Compliance Assistance Toolkit. These stickers visibly show that certain equipment is hazardous and must not be used by employees under 18 years of age.
Pizza Parlor will also require all young workers to “wear shirts and/or name tags color-coded to signify their ages, including one color for 14—and 15-year-old children, another for 16—and 17-year-old teens, and a third color for workers 18 and older.”
“This case sends a clear message: the Department of Labor will use all necessary resources to protect children from dangerous employment,” added Regional Solicitor Christine Z. Heri in Chicago. “Every company employing minors has a responsibility to make sure children are not being employed illegally and that their safety and well-being are never jeopardized.”
Image: Pixlr.
