Chattanooga Cleaning Company Faces Consequences for Employing Minors at 13 Locations
For using juveniles to perform midnight hours at many meat and poultry processing facilities, a Chattanooga-based cleaning firm was sentenced to pay hefty fines.
Following an investigation by the U.S. Wage and Hour Division, Chattanooga-based QSI LLC will pay fines totaling almost half a million dollars, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Violations regarding the employment of minors at 13 meat and poultry processing facilities between January 2021 and February 2024 were discovered throughout the inquiry.
According to the Department of Labor, it has been looking into third-party contractors that supply meatpacking facilities around the country with sanitation services since 2022. Concerns regarding child labor in dangerous occupations, especially in the meatpacking and processing sectors, are the focus of these investigations.
According to the QSI results, children were working overnight sanitation shifts and in hazardous jobs at facilities in several states, including Alabama, California, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia. The inherent risks and safety hazards of these vocations, especially while working overnight, make them extremely worrying.
QSI LLC has consented to pay $400,000 in civil money penalties for its child labor breaches as part of the settlement. The business has also promised to put in place a number of steps meant to stop similar infractions in the future.
These steps include keeping a toll-free hotline open for staff and the general public to report any concerns regarding unlawful child labor practices, as well as monitoring and reviewing corporate policy to guarantee adherence to labor regulations.
In addition to the financial penalties, QSI LLC is subject to a number of other obligations under the agreement with the Department of Labor to rectify the infractions and enhance compliance.
To find any workers under the age of 18, the business must conduct a new poll at each of its workplaces. The goal of this stage is to make sure that no children are currently working in jobs that are illegal under child labor regulations.
Additionally, QSI LLC must examine and assess its manager training materials on child labor compliance.
The goal of this program is to raise supervisors’ knowledge and comprehension of child labor rules and make sure that similar infractions don’t happen again. Since the business must now keep thorough records of every employee, including their dates of birth and the precise responsibilities they are assigned, accurate record-keeping will also be a top priority.
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Furthermore, QSI LLC will include a clause prohibiting child labor in all of its agreements with third parties.
This clause will require all service contracts to contain Fact Sheet #43, which describes the laws governing child labor in non-agricultural occupations. The purpose of this strategy is to guarantee that the company’s subcontractors and partners are aware of and abide by child labor laws.
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QSI LLC will continue to provide a toll-free hotline number in order to offer a means of resolving future issues.
People will be able to anonymously report any suspected child labor infractions or ask questions about labor compliance by calling this hotline. The company hopes to promote accountability and openness by providing this resource.
The Department of Labor’s dedication to addressing and eliminating child labor abuses in the US is demonstrated by the fines and compliance requirements levied against QSI LLC. Other businesses in the sector are also cautioned by the resolution on the significance of abiding by labor laws and safeguarding the wellbeing of youthful workers.