Giving young people the opportunity to work is a win-win situation. I think it's great that young people can learn responsibility while earning some money, and businesses benefit by hopefully avoiding the challenges of being short-staffed.

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 Order To Pay $4 Million After Federal Child Labor Law Violations

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.

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The agreement commits JBS to hold key elements of its supply chain, third-party contractors, and service providers accountable for illegal child labor. They must also create a targeted advertising campaign to raise awareness about unlawful child labor practices.

JBS will now fund $4 million towards preventing illegal child labor and supporting victims of child labor nationwide while prioritizing its efforts in the communities of Guntersville, Alabama; Greeley, Colorado; Ottumwa, Iowa; Worthington, Minnesota; and Grand Island, Nebraska.

The funds may also provide direct assistance to affected individuals and community organizations with scholarships, stipends, and educational aid including assistance to community organizations to fund English as a Second Language teaching positions, literacy, job training, and housing.

In addition to the establishment of the $4 million fund for victims of child labor and community-based causes, JBS must also do the following:

  • 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.

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Unfortunately, instances such as this are not uncommon. In 2024, U.S. Department Of Labor Investigators discovered more than 4,000 children had been employed in violation of federal child labor laws. Protecting children remains a top priority and there are currently over 1,000 open child labor investigations.

Meat Processing and Slicing Tasks That Aren't Allowed For Kids Under 18

The U.S. Department of Labor has a significant list of tasks that kids under 18 are not allowed to do. That list is based on the industry in which the kid is employed. When it comes to meat processing and slicing, they cannot do any of the following:

  • 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.

You can see the full list of jobs kids aren't allowed to through the button above. The U.S. Department of Labor says that workers and employers can call the division confidentially with questions and the division can speak with callers in more than 200 languages at its toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).

SEE NOW: Minnesota Restaurant Owners Found Guilty Of Underpaying Staff

QUIZ: Can you identify 50 famous companies by their logos?

How well do you know the logos of 50 of the world's most famous companies? Keep scrolling to see if you can guess which icon belongs to which brand.

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Gallery Credit: Lauren Wells

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