SANDY Utah A Little Caesars franchisee here no longer employs 14- and 15-year-olds after paying $110,800 this year in civil penalties to settle child labor violations.
Joe Johnson, owner of Caesars Utah, which operates 50 Little Caesars in the state, said the units immediately became compliant last year after the company learned some of them were in violation of federal laws regarding the number of hours that 14- and 15-year-olds can work. The company, which has more than 1,000 employees, now only hires workers ages 16 and older, Johnson said.
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, 14- and 15-year-olds can work only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. during school days and no later than 9 p.m. during the summer. Federal law also restricts anyone under 16 from baking and cooking.
Johnson said most of the violations resulted from the young teens clocking out a few minutes later than allowed.
Dean Campbell, district director of the U. S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division in Salt Lake City, said investigators found no willful intent by Caesars Utah to improperly employ minors.
As part of the settlement, the franchisee also paid for a yearlong youth employment advertising campaign that included posters and public service announcements on Utah radio stations.
