U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Finds North Carolina Restaurant Allowed Minors to Work Beyond Legally Allowed Hours

CORNELIUS, NC - After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Cowboy LKN LLC – a restaurant based in Cornelius, North Carolina – has paid a $12,085 civil money penalty for violating the child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WHD determined the Cowboy LKN LLC – operating as Cowboy Steak Chicken Ribs – violated child labor requirements by allowing 15-year-old employees to work outside of legally approved hours, and for more hours than allowed by law. WHD investigators found minors worked after 7 p.m. on school nights, worked more than 3 hours on a school day, worked more than 8 hours on a non-school day and worked after 9 p.m. during the summer - all FLSA violations.

In addition, WHD found Cowboy LKN LLC failed to maintain a certificate of age or any other acceptable evidence of age for some of the minor employees.

“Child labor laws exist to strike a balance between providing meaningful work experience for young people and keeping them safe on the job,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Richard Blaylock, in Raleigh, North Carolina. “We encourage all employers to review their employment obligations and to contact the Wage and Hour Division for compliance assistance.”

For more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the Wage and Hour Division, contact the toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Employers who discover overtime or minimum wage violations may self-report and resolve those violations without litigation through the PAID program. Information is also available at https://www.dol.gov/whd.