3 Utah Cold Stone locations fined $42K for child labor law violations

Derick Fox
·2 min read
2

OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) — Three Cold Stone Creamery locations across northern Utah have been fined after the U.S. Department of Labor found they violated child labor laws.

According to the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, Sweet Place LLC which operates the three locations was found allowing 14 and 15-year-old employees to work “too late in the day and too many hours in the week” while in school.

The Labor Standards Act restricts 14- and 15-year-old employees from working more than three hours on a school day, including Friday, and more than 18 hours per week when school is in session. When school is not in session, younger employees can then work no more than eight hours per day and 40 hours a week.

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Young employees also cannot work past 7 p.m. except during the summer between June 1 and Labor Day, when work hours are extended to 9 p.m.

The three Cold Stone Creamery locations that were found in violation of these laws were located in Ogden, Clinton and Layton. The employer reportedly told the Department of Labor that it was relying on erroneous legal guidance advising them to follow state guidelines.

In total, Sweet Place LLC was fined more than $42,000 in penalties.

“The legal guidance the employer relied on was incorrect and ultimately resulted in federal child labor law violations, costing over $42,000 in penalities,” said Salt Lake City Wage and Hour District Director Kevin Hunt. “We encourage employers and employees to contact our office directly to get accurate information pertaining to federal labor laws and avoid an unfortunate situation like this one.”

The fines levied against Sweet Place LLC mark the third such violation within the last year. In September 2023, two St. George Chick-fil-A locations were also found to violate federal child labor laws and were fined over $180,000. A few months prior, four Sodalicious locations were fined nearly $14,000 for their violations of the Labor Standards Act

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