In a notable instance of labor law enforcement, the U.S. Department of Labor has imposed penalties on a Grand Rapids window cleaning company, Absolutely Clean Services Inc., for employing minors in hazardous working conditions. The company faces a fine of $29,210 for flouting child labor laws, as made public through the Department's Office of the Administrative Law Judge on October 30. According to the department’s investigation, the firm assigned perilous tasks to three underage workers, including window and gutter cleaning and Christmas lights installation, which tragically led to a serious fall and subsequent surgery for one child.
The investigation by the Wage and Hour Division unearthed that two of the three employed children were allowed to operate a motor vehicle weighing more than 6,000 pounds. The company also neglected to keep accurate records, including failing to document the birth date of at least one child – a contravention of federal guidelines. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the District Director Mary O’Rourke in Grand Rapids condemned the company’s actions, stating, “A child was injured while working a dangerous job for which they never should have been hired. There is no excuse for violating the law and putting children at risk.”
Beyond penalties, Absolutely Clean Services is mandated to execute corrective measures, including training for supervisors and team leads about the tasks minors are prohibited from performing on the job, and to display information sheets pertaining to Hazardous Occupations Orders 2 and 16—the latter of which expressly forbid minors from driving motor vehicles and working on roofs, respectively.
These penalties add to the company's existing financial obligations after a previous finding that Absolutely Clean Services had violated overtime rules. This resulted in a payout of $36,532 to 16 employees for unpaid overtime and damages. As detailed in the report by the U.S. Department of Labor, Regional Solicitor Christine Z. Heri in Chicago emphasized employer responsibility, “Employers have no business employing minors to work on roofs or drive cars on public roads. Every company employing minors has the paramount responsibility to make sure they are kept safe, and — as this case demonstrates — the department will use every legal resource available to protect them.”
