Stella's Ice Cream locations in Boise, Caldwell, Eagle and Nampa are facing civil money penalties assessed by the U.S. Department of Labor after finding the safety of children was put at risk, by having them perform dangerous tasks and work later than legally allowed.
Investigators say "dozens of employed children" operated industrial mixers, drove delivery vans and worked during times forbidden by law, according to a news release. The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor found Stella's regularly employed those between the ages of 14 and 15 to work past 10:30 p.m.
“Learning new skills in the workforce is an important part of growing up, but we must protect children and ensure their first jobs are safe and do not interfere with their education or well-being,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Katherine Walum in Portland, Oregon. “The Fair Labor Standards Act allows for work experiences but restricts the employment of young workers in certain jobs and provides for penalties when employers do not follow the law.”
Employers are not allowed to have 14 and 15-year-olds work past 7 p.m., according to federal regulations, except for between June 1 and Labor Day, when that time is extended to 9 p.m. They are also not allowed to work more than 18 hours per week when school is in session.
The penalties have incurred a cost of $321,015 for the ice cream business. During the investigation, the Wage and Hour Division also found out that Stella's shared tips earned by tipped workers with managers and supervisors, which is in violation of federal regulations, according to the release. This discovery led to $79,463 in back wages and liquidated damages for 208 employees.
