Business
Violations of Minnesota's Child Labor Laws Included in Significant Penalty
2025-03-28 09:54:50
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David Drew
Providing job opportunities for young individuals creates a mutually beneficial scenario. It's fantastic that they can gain a sense of responsibility while also making some income, and companies stand to gain by potentially alleviating issues related to workforce shortages.
However, all need to remember that there are special rules in place for employers hiring young employees, which the federal government has put in place to protect these vulnerable workers.
Unfortunately, whether done deliberately or not, businesses or their partners don't always follow those rules. When this happens, there are often massive fines for companies found violating federal child labor laws, and that has recently happened involving a major U.S. company that has a facility in Minnesota.
Company Ordered to Pay $4 Million Following Violations of Federal Child Labor Laws
The U.S. Department of Labor announced that JBS USA Food Co., the nation’s leading meat-packing processor and slaughterhouse with over 37,00 employees nationwide, has agreed to pay $4 million to assist individuals and communities affected by unlawful child labor practices nationwide.
This came after U.S. Department Of Labor investigations discovered that JBS’s third-party service providers employed children in dangerous jobs and during overnight shifts at the company’s facilities in Minnesota, Colorado, Iowa, and Nebraska.
The agreement requires JBS to ensure that essential aspects of its supply chain, as well as third-party contractors and service providers, are held responsible for the issue of illegal child labor. Additionally, they are tasked with developing a focused advertising campaign aimed at educating the public about the dangers and prevalence of unlawful child labor practices.
JBS has announced a commitment of $4 million to combat illegal child labor and assist victims across the country, with a special focus on the communities of Guntersville, Alabama; Greeley, Colorado; Ottumwa, Iowa; Worthington, Minnesota; and Grand Island, Nebraska.
The funds might also offer direct support to impacted individuals and community groups through scholarships, stipends, and educational resources. This includes aiding community organizations in financing positions for English as a Second Language instruction, literacy programs, job training, and housing assistance.
Alongside creating a $4 million fund dedicated to supporting victims of child labor and community initiatives, JBS is required to take additional actions:
Hire a child labor compliance specialist to review policies, develop training materials, and conduct unannounced audits.
Maintain a toll-free ethics hotline for the anonymous reporting of compliance concerns.
Incorporate a zero-tolerance policy in any contract agreements with third-party sanitation firms or poultry-catching service providers.
Notify the department when contracts have been terminated because of child labor violations.
Conduct community outreach to educate communities about the prohibitions on child labor at meat packing establishments.
Create targeted advertising campaigns to raise awareness about unlawful child labor in Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska.
Require nationwide training on the prevention of illegal child labor for all third-party sanitation employers at JBS facilities and all JBS employees at meat-packing establishments.
Regrettably, situations like this are increasingly frequent. In 2024, investigators from the U.S. Department of Labor found that over 4,000 children had been illegally employed in contravention of federal child labor regulations. Ensuring the safety and protection of children continues to be a critical focus, with more than 1,000 child labor investigations currently underway.
Meat Processing and Slicing Activities Prohibited for Individuals Under 18
The U.S. Department of Labor has established a comprehensive list of prohibited tasks for individuals under 18 years of age, which varies depending on the specific industry they are working in. In the case of meat processing and slicing, minors are not permitted to engage in the following activities:
Kids under 18 cannot operate power-driven meat processing machines, such as meat slicers, saws, and meat choppers, wherever used (including restaurants and delicatessens).
Kids under 18 cannot clean such equipment, including the hand washing of the disassembled machine parts.
Kids under 18 cannot operate this machinery on items other than meat, such as cheese and vegetables.
Kids under 18 cannot do most jobs in meat and poultry slaughtering, processing, rendering, or packing establishments.
To view the complete list of jobs that are off-limits for children, please click the button above. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, both workers and employers can reach out to the division for confidential inquiries. Additionally, the division offers assistance in over 200 languages through its toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).
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