A painting company is in hot water with the Department of Labor (DOL) for allowing teen workers to paint multi-story homes.
Neubert Painting Inc., an Ohio-based painting company, violated child labor laws by allowing two 17-year-old workers to work on roofs while painting client houses in the summers of 2021 and 2022.
The child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) forbids teen workers from most jobs involving roof activities.
The DOL Wage and Hour Division fined Neubert Painting $30,276 for the child labor violations.
“Employers must be acutely aware of the restrictions that apply to any workers under the age of 18,” said Wage and Hour District Director Matthew Utley. “Work that involves children on roofs is inherently dangerous. Employers who violate federal child labor laws jeopardize the lives and health of children and risk large fines and penalties.”
Each violation can cost an employer up to $15K
As of January 2024, employers can now be assessed penalties of up to $15,629 for each child labor law violation of the FLSA.
The DOL investigated 955 cases with child labor violations in 2023. Those investigations involved 5,792 children nationwide, including 502 children employed in occupations deemed hazardous by the FLSA.
These violations resulted in a total of more than $8 million in civil money penalties.
