A federal investigation at four Virginia Jersey Mike’s franchises found more than a dozen teen workers were given hazardous tasks to perform.
Fourteen teen workers — who were all under the age of 16 — were allowed to operate power-driven meat slicers, a task deemed too hazardous for teen workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
JM Burke LLC, the South Carolina-based franchise operator, also allowed the minors to work more hours than the FLSA allows. The company paid a $108,161 fine for these violations.
“Employers who hire minors are legally and ethically obligated to comply with child labor standards that protect young people from harm,” Wage and Hour Division District Director Nicholas Fiorello said. “In addition to keeping them safe, employers must schedule young workers for times that allow for their education to remain the priority.”
Franchise owner agrees to enhanced compliance measures
Along with the child labor law violations, investigators with the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division found several wage-related violations.
The company agreed to enhanced compliance in the future, including:
- staff training
- increased corporate site visits
- the creation of a website for reporting violations, and
- investments in technology to monitor store cameras to help ensure that teen workers aren’t performing hazardous tasks.
More information about teen workers and the FLSA can be found on the Wage and Hour Division website.
