Colorado sushi restaurant penalized for violating child labor laws
By Logan Smith
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COLORADO (KCNC) — An Aurora restaurant paid a fine to the U.S. Department of Labor after an investigation found a 17-year-old employee was allowed to load a trash compactor — a federally prohibited hazardous task for a minor — and 14- and 15-year-old employees worked more hours than federal law allows.
The owners of Mt. Fuji Sushi & Hibachi recently paid a $22,249 civil penalty, according to the Department of Labor.
Under federal law, a trash compactor cannot legally be loaded by anyone under 18 years of age.
Similarly, workers of 14 and 15 years of age are not permitted to work later than 7 p.m. between Labor Day and May 31, or later than 9 p.m. between June 1 and Labor Day. Workers that age are also not allowed to work more than eight hours per day on a non-school day, per federal law.
The restaurant employed 14 such workers, according to the agency.
The investigation also determined the restaurant failed to properly pay overtime to its 19 adult employees. The chefs, kitchen staff, and other workers were paid their normal hourly rate instead of the required time-and-a-half overtime rate for hours beyond 40 hours per week.
The restaurant agreed to pay $20,213 in back wages to the employees after the investigation.
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