Well, not anymore. The U.S. Deptartment of Labor is beginning to crack down on underage workers helping out mom and dad in the office and warehouse. It has added what it describes as “armies of lawyers and accountants” to investigate, inspect and audit companies for wage violations, undocumented workers and, yes, your own children.
So, be extra mindful this summer that the DOL is out in force and looking for workers under 18 using anything “powered,” such as forklifts, power tools, vehicles, lifts, etc. Keep the kids away from anything like that and don’t think you won’t get caught. These audits are happening in every state … primarily driven by high unemployment rates. Go ahead and pay your kids to do certain things, but avoid the hefty fines by having them do only safe things.
CW