The operator of six Nevada Sonic Drive-In locations is in trouble with the U.S. Department of Labor for allowing teen workers to operate manual deep fryers, leading to more than 170 child labor law violations.
U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division investigators found that teen workers were also allowed to work longer hours than the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) allows.
Teen workers were allowed to operate fryers without automatic fry baskets, exposing them to the risk of being burned by hot oil and grease. The operation of manual fryers is considered a hazardous occupation that’s unsafe for children under the FLSA.
SDI of Neil LLC, the Sonic Drive-In franchisee, was also accused of allowing 14- and 15-year-old employees to work:
- before 7 a.m., and later than 7 p.m. on days between Labor Day and June 1, and later than 9 p.m. on days between June 1 and Labor Day, and
- more than three hours per day on school days, more than 18 hours per week in a school week, more than eight hours on a non-school day, and more than 40 hours in a non-school week.
The violations involved a fine of $71,182, which the company has paid.
From fiscal year 2018 to 2022, the Wage and Hour Division identified child labor violations in more than 4,000 cases with more than 15,000 children employed in violation of the FLSA.
See the Wage and Hour Division’s Seven Child Labor Best Practices for Employers webpage for more information on how to keep teen workers safe and how to remain compliant with the FLSA.