Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

ESA Press Release: Ohio Fast Food Company Fined $333,450 for Child Labor Violations; One Minor Injured [11/04/1998]

For more information call: 202-219-8211

An Ohio fast food restaurant company was fined $333,450 for violations of federal child labor laws after a 15-year-old cut her finger while using a meat slicer. The Labor Department found that GZK Inc. of Dayton illegally employed 42 minors.

The violations were found at four restaurants operated by the company, Arby's in Miamisburg and in Dayton and Famous Recipe Chicken in Miamisburg and Huber Heights. The restaurants violated restrictions on the hours minors may be employed and the kinds of work they can do and hired one younger than 14, the minimum age for teens to work in most non-farm occupations.

Thirty-two of the minors operated power-driven meat slicers, machinery prohibited for use by anyone under 18. The 15-year-old's finger was seriously injured and she missed eight days of school.

"The law restricts what minors may do in order to protect them from being hurt or killed at work," Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman said. "This company was cited before for child labor violations and yet they continued to put a large number of minors at risk for injury and ignored restrictions on hours."

GZK has filed an exception to the fine and requested a hearing before a Labor Department administrative law judge. The Fair Labor Standards Act, which is enforced by the department's Wage and Hour Division, permits a penalty of up to $10,000 per employee who is the subject of a violation.

The law permits 14 and 15-year-olds to work in nonhazardous jobs for up to three hours on school days but not past 7 p.m. They also are limited to no more than 18 hours during a school week.

"The law limits the hours young people may work for good reason," Herman said. "They need time to do their homework and be rested for school. School is their main job."

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.