DOL files penalties against Iowa casino for child labor and overtime violations
The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced Peninsula Gaming in Dubuque, Iowa, will need to pay $9,300 as penalties for Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations. A recent investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division revealed the casino was violating both child labor and overtime rights.
According to the investigators, employees under the age of 18 were allowed to operate heavy machinery, such as trash compactors, which does not comply with child labor rights outlined in the FLSA.
"Our company was disappointed to learn that team members under 18 were putting boxes in a trash compactor and in some cases inadvertently scheduled later than curfew," Peninsula Gaming officials said, following news of the violations, as reported by the Globe Gazette.
However, the illegal payroll practices didn't stop there. The investigation also revealed Peninsula Gaming was paying straight time instead of time-and-a-half for overtime for employee attendance and were not keeping adequate documentation, the source added. As a result, the DOL has also asked the employer to pay $46,531 in back wages to 32 employees.
To avoid similar violations, employers can update their payroll processing systems to ensure workers are receiving the wages they are owed. If managers are unfamiliar with labor laws, companies can outsource human resources for additional training programs.
According to the investigators, employees under the age of 18 were allowed to operate heavy machinery, such as trash compactors, which does not comply with child labor rights outlined in the FLSA.
"Our company was disappointed to learn that team members under 18 were putting boxes in a trash compactor and in some cases inadvertently scheduled later than curfew," Peninsula Gaming officials said, following news of the violations, as reported by the Globe Gazette.
However, the illegal payroll practices didn't stop there. The investigation also revealed Peninsula Gaming was paying straight time instead of time-and-a-half for overtime for employee attendance and were not keeping adequate documentation, the source added. As a result, the DOL has also asked the employer to pay $46,531 in back wages to 32 employees.
To avoid similar violations, employers can update their payroll processing systems to ensure workers are receiving the wages they are owed. If managers are unfamiliar with labor laws, companies can outsource human resources for additional training programs.
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