US Department of Labor finds 5 Florida skating rinks illegally employing minors later than allowed, assesses $26K in civil penalties

Employers:    Astro Skating Center of Brandon LLC, operating Astro Skate Family Fun Center of Brandon

                        750 W. Robertson St., Brandon, FL 33511

                        Astro Skating Center of Ormond Beach LLC, operating Astro Skate Ormond Beach

                        250 US-1, Ormond Beach, FL 32174

                        CMC Realty Inc., operating Astro Skating Center Tarpon Springs

                        875 Cypress St., Tarpon Springs, FL 34689

                        Astro Skate Pinellas Park LLC, operating Astro Skate Family Fun Center of Pinellas Park 10001 66th St. N., Pinellas Park, FL 33782

                        Astro Skating Center of Bradenton LLC, operating Astro Skate of Bradenton

                        3611 3rd St. W., Bradenton, FL 34205   

Investigation findings: U.S. Department of Labor investigators found the employers allowed 33 employees – 14- and 15-year-olds – to work outside of legally allowed hours, a violation of the child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Specifically, the employer let the minors work past 7 p.m. while school was in session, past 9 p.m. between June 1 and Labor Day, more than three hours when school was in session, more than eight hours on non-school days and more than 18 hours during school weeks.

In addition, the employers failed to keep accurate records documenting the ages of the minor employees.

Civil money penalties assessed:       $26,103 to address child labor violations.                                   

Quote: “Federal law requires employers must balance their needs with their obligations to provide young workers with useful work experiences without jeopardizing their well-being or schooling opportunities,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Nicolas Ratmiroff in Tampa, Florida. “We encourage, employers, parents, educators and young workers to use the variety of resources we provide to help understand their obligations and rights under the law.”

Background: From fiscal year 2020 through 2022, the division assessed employers more than $2.8 million in penalties and conducted more than 500 child labor investigations affecting nearly 2,900 minors in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Employers can also contact the Wage and Hour Division at its toll-free number, 1-866-4-US-WAGE. Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including information about protections for young workers on the department’s YouthRules! website. Workers can call the Wage and Hour Division confidentially with questions – regardless of where they are from – and the department can speak with callers in more than 200 languages.