(CBS-DETROIT) – A Grand Rapids window cleaning company must pay $29,210 in fines after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation found it violated child labor laws when it employed three children to clean home windows and gutters and install Christmas lights.
According to the investigation, Absolutely Clean Services Inc. violated child labor laws by having the three minors perform tasks that the DOL considers off-limits to people under the age of 18. One of the minors reportedly suffered serious injuries and had to undergo surgery after falling from the ground. a roof.
“A child was injured in a dangerous job that they should never have been hired to do. There is no excuse for breaking the law and putting children in danger,” Mary O’Rourke, district director of DOL Wage and Hour Division, said in a statement . “Nearly a hundred years ago, federal child labor laws were enacted to prevent employers from endangering the safety and well-being of young workers.”
Investigators say Absolutely Clean Services allowed two children to drive a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of more than 6,000 pounds and failed to maintain accurate employee records, including the date of birth of at least one of the minor employees.
“Employers have no business hiring minors to work on roofs or drive cars on public roads,” said Christine Z. Heri, regional attorney for the DOL. “Any company that employs minors has the utmost responsibility to ensure they are kept safe, and – as this case demonstrates – the Department will use all available legal means to protect them.”
Officials say the company has made an initial payment of $14,605 and must pay the remaining balance by January 6, 2025.
