The U.S. Department of Labor has fined a Nampa-based ice cream manufacturer and retailer $321,015 after it was discovered that four of its retail locations in Idaho endangered the safety of dozens of children by hiring them to perform hazardous jobs and work past the legal hours.
Investigators from the department’s Wage and Hour Division found that Stella’s Ice Cream stores in Boise, Caldwell, Eagle, and Nampa used minors to drive delivery vans, run industrial mixers, and do other illegal labor. In particular, the division discovered that the employer frequently hired workers in the 14–15 age range to work past 10:30 p.m.
The Department of Labor’s news statement makes no mention of any infractions at Stella’s fifth site, which opened along Blue Lakes Boulevard in Twin Falls in 2023.
Learning new skills in the workforce is an important part of growing up, but we must protect children and ensure their first jobs are safe and do not interfere with their education or well-being, said Wage and Hour Division District Director Katherine Walum in Portland, Oregon. While the Fair Labor Standards Act permits work experience, it prohibits the employment of minors in specific occupations and imposes sanctions on employers that violate the law.
With the exception of June 1 through Labor Day, when the evening hour is extended to 9 p.m., federal restrictions prohibit companies from hiring 14- and 15-year-olds to work past 7 p.m. When school is in session, employees between the ages of 14 and 15 are not permitted to work more than 18 hours per week.
The division also found during its probe that the corporation violated federal standards by sharing tips received by tipped employees with managers and supervisors. Managers and supervisors are not allowed to be part of a tip pool under the FLSA. According to its news statement, this discovery resulted in the recovery of $79,463 in back wages and liquidated damages for 208 impacted employees.
___
The Times-News (Twin Falls, Idaho) (c) 2024
Go to magicvalley.com to read The Times-News (Twin Falls, Idaho).
Tribune Content Agency, LLC is the distributor.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
