02-27-2024
Child labor violations have made headlines over the last year or so because of some dire consequences. A 16-year-old died in a poultry processing machine last summer. Federal regulators said his death was "a preventable, dangerous situation" for any worker, but particularly for a child. His employer said they did not know his actual age and would not have knowingly put him in "harm's way." (ABC News). His mother filed a lawsuit accusing the employer and staffing agency of negligence.
He is not the only recent casualty. In January, a 16-year-old had both legs amputated after working on a construction site. Another 16-year-old died last summer unjamming a stick stacker machine. A 15-year-old fell and died at a work site. More than half of the 995 cases investigated by federal labor regulators in 2023 involved minors working in hazardous conditions. An administrator from the DOL told ABC News, "The exploitation of child labor is unacceptable, and it's why the vigorous enforcement of child labor laws continues to be a top priority for the Department." Child welfare advocates do not believe the DOL's penalties are sufficient to stop preventable injuries.
Some states want to relax the rules around child labor because of worker shortages. In 2024, eleven states introduced or took action to roll back child labor protections. Florida is advancing a bill to make it easier for minors to work on construction sites and let sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds work more than 30 hours a week. Kentucky wants to remove the hours cap for older teens working on school nights. Wisconsin proposed allowing fourteen-year-olds to serve alcohol in bars and restaurants. Federal law (Fair Labor Standards Act) sets 14 as the minimum age for non-agricultural jobs, restricts the hours minors under age 16 may work, and prohibits individuals under 18 from working in hazardous occupations.