According to the U.S. Department of Labor website this week, Specialty Consulting Services LLC was assessed nearly $17K in penalties for allowing 22 employees – ages 14 and 15 – to work as many as 46 hours per workweek, some recording time after midnight – both illegal practices under child labor laws.

Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found Specialty Consulting Services LLC – operating as Standard Restaurant Supply – violated child labor work hours standards of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The employer also failed to keep accurate time records including the date of birth for one minor-aged employee, in violation of the FLSA’s recordkeeping provision.

The division assessed $16,595 in penalties to resolve the child labor violations.

A representative from Standard Restaurant Supply issued the following statement:

“Standard Restaurant Supply fully supports the child labor laws as outlined by the FLSA and have taken measures to address the citations, which appear to be isolated to a single location.

Standard has implemented a number of policy changes as well as additional training for managers to ensure all of our activities follow our commitment to our employees' well-being and our commitment to compliance with the FLSA.”

The investigation follows a March 2022 announcement by the division’s Southwest Region reminding Salt Lake City-area employers of the importance of complying with federal child labor laws, and its stepped-up enforcement efforts.

“Minors as young as 14- and 15-years-old not only worked beyond permitted hours, but more than half of them were employed in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act by being allowed to work long shifts often exceeding eight hours,” explained Wage and Hour Division District Director Kevin Hunt in Salt Lake City. “Our investigators continue to see an increase in child labor violations in several industries. We will take vigorous action whenever we discover young workers’ safety and well-being are being jeopardized by employers who fail to follow the law.”

“We urge employers in the region to gain a full understanding of child labor regulations and ensure they are abiding by the law, or they should be prepared to face costly consequences,” Hunt added.

A number of other high-profile companies in the Southwest Region have faced similar penalties in recent months, including the parent companies of Soda-licious, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Wiggy Wash Corp., and Kent’s Market.

The DCCS released a statement concerning the violations:

"The Davis County Cooperative Society (DCCS) strongly encourages its members who are business owners to treat employees fairly, ethically and within the bounds of the law. This includes following all child labor laws.

The DCCS supports the efforts of the U.S. Department of Labor in enforcing child labor laws and protecting minors in the workforce." --DCCS Governing Board

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