In an aggressive move to safeguard the welfare of child workers, Pennsylvania's Department of Labor & Industry slapped a Domino’s franchise owner with a hefty $344,000 fine for a litany of child labor offenses across seven pizza joints. The franchise, NWPA Pizza Inc., stands accused of up to 715 infractions that reportedly began in 2021, including failure to provide mandatory breaks for 16 minors on the payroll. According to a statement obtained by the Pennsylvania media, these labor law breaches are in direct conflict with the state's Child Labor Act, designed to ensure young workers' health and security on the job.
Nancy A. Walker, the Labor & Industry Secretary, underscored the department's unwavering stance against illegal employment practices that compromise the integrity of Pennsylvania's workforce, especially its more inexperienced members. Governor Shapiro's proposed 2024-25 budget, as outlined in Secretary Walker's statement, is set to tighten the enforcement net with an injection of 12 additional labor law investigators into the ranks, complementing the existing team of 27. Handing down the fine, allocated to the state’s General Fund, highlights a broader agenda to protect and put Pennsylvania's child workers first.
Foundationally, the state's Child Labor Act delineates the rights and limitations of employed minors, capping work hours, regulating work conditions, and mandating educational focus by requiring work permits. Alarming breaches at the NWPA Pizza Inc. locations were uncovered by the Bureau of Labor Law Compliance (BLLC) following a complaint made by an employee. Violations were extensive, including cases where children were scheduled beyond what was acceptable by law and even put to work without the necessary legal permits.
The investigation, shedding light on a concerning pattern, charted 375 instances of minors being denied their breaks and 16 counts of unlawful employment without a work permit. Diligent BLLC sleuthing further disclosed 29 cases where schools weren't informed about changes in a student's job status and three cases where a young child under the age of 16 was employed without the necessary green light from a parent. Not stopping there, 154 counts of overworking and 138 cases of scheduling outside legal hours painted the picture of a Domino's franchise owner riding roughshod over child labor laws.
In the wake of this costly reckoning, NWPA Pizza Inc. has been directed to train its management teams on compliance with the state's labor statutes to prevent a repeat of these violations. Amid the dust-up, NWPA Pizza Inc.'s management will sit through labor law training courtesy of the BLLC, as stated in the settlement terms.
