Ohio painting company pays $30K in child labor penalties for employing 17-year-old teens to paint houses, work from roofs

Employers:    Neubert Painting Inc., Brook Park, Ohio

                         John Neubert, owner

Action:           U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation

Investigation: The department’s Wage and Hour Division investigation found Neubert Painting Inc. and owner John Neubert violated the Fair Labor Standards Act’s child labor provisions when they hired two 17-year-old minors to paint homes during the summers of 2021 and 2022. Investigators learned the employer assigned the minors to work from clients’ roofs to paint multi-story homes. Hazardous order 16 forbids minors from most jobs in roofing operations, including work performed on or about a roof. 

The Wage and Hour Division assessed $30,276 in civil money penalties for the child labor violations. 

Investigators also found the Brook Park company — which provides painting, staining, aluminum siding refinishing and gutter-cleaning services — failed to maintain accurate payroll records.

Quote: “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 in Columbus, Ohio. “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.”

Background: As of January 2024, employers can now be assessed penalties of up to $15,629 for each child labor law violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

In February 2023, the department announced the creation of an Interagency Task Force to Combat Child Labor Exploitation to better align federal efforts to protect children from exploitative situations in the workplace. In fiscal year 2023, department investigators identified child labor violations in 955 cases and assessed employers with more than $8 million in penalties. 

Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including child labor regulations on dangerous jobs that are prohibited for workers under age 18. Workers and employers can call the division confidentially on the toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). The department can speak with callers in more than 200 languages.