Massachusetts Attorney General Cited Numerous Retail Stores For Child Labor Violations

Boston, MA (CompNewsNetwork) - Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office has issued 31 citations for child labor violations at retail stores in malls throughout the Commonwealth during the holiday shopping period.  The citations are for a total of 177 violations including stores failing to identify minor employees on work schedules and employing minors without work permits and past the latest permissible hour of work.  Violations occurred at the Assembly Square Mall in Somerville; Burlington Mall; Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis; Cambridgeside Galleria in Cambridge; Chestnut Hill Mall; Eastfield Mall in Springfield; Natick Collection; Silver City Galleria in Taunton; South Shore Plaza in Braintree; and the Swansea Mall.

"Our office will continue to enforce the state's Child Labor Laws," Attorney General Coakley said.  "These laws are essential to protecting the health and safety of our teen workers and the people of the Commonwealth."

 Investigators found that a significant number of the violations occurred at Hollister Co., a clothing store owned by Abercrombie & Fitch, at the Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis.  Hollister's Hyannis location was cited for 15 instances of employment of a 16-17 year old minor past 10:00 p.m.  On a number of occasions, minors worked overnight until 5:00 a.m.  The Hyannis location was also cited for 37 instances of employment of a minor without a work permit.  Hollister Co. in Hyannis was assessed nearly $6,000 in child labor penalties.  Hollister Co.'s Burlington Mall location was also found to be employing 57 minors without work permits and was assessed $2,850 in child labor penalties.

The Massachusetts Child Labor Laws include restrictions on both the occupations in which minors may be employed, as well as the hours during which they may work.  The law also requires employers to ensure that teens have proper work permits prior to beginning work, and that employers post all minors' work schedules in the workplace.

Amendments to the Child Labor Laws were enacted in 2007 to provide new workplace protections for minors, including restricting employment of 16 and 17 year olds to 10 p.m. on nights preceding school.  Another important new safeguard in the law makes it illegal for minors to work past 8 p.m. without adult supervision.

Further information on the Massachusetts Child Labor Laws can be found at the Attorney General's youth employment website, www.laborlowdown.com, and at the Attorney General's website, www.mass.gov/ago, in the Workplace Rights section under Youth Employment.  Those wishing to report violations of the Commonwealth's  Wage and Hour laws can contact the Attorney General's Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465.

The following stores were cited and assessed child labor penalties, ranging from $50 to approximately $3,000, depending on the number and type of violations found:

Pacific Sunwear Stores, Burlington Mall, Burlington 
Hollister Co., Burlington Mall, Burlington 
Headway Corporate Staffing Services/Christmas Express, Burlington Mall, Burlington
The Stride Rite Corporation, Burlington Mall, Burlington 
Au Bon Pain, Burlington Mall, Burlington
Aldo Group, Burlington Mall, Burlington
The Children's Place, Burlington Mall, Burlington
Lego Brand Retail, Burlington Mall, Burlington
Aeropostale, Silver City Galleria Mall, Taunton
Pacific Sunwear Store, Silver City Galleria Mall, Taunton
Best Buy Stores, Silver City Galleria Mall, Taunton
Foot Locker Stores, Silver City Galleria Mall, Taunton
GameStop, inc., Silver City Galleria Mall, Taunton
Trans World Entertainment d/b/a Suncoast, Silver City Galleria Mall, Taunton
Things Remembered, Silver City Galleria Mall, Taunton
The Fashion Expo, Silver City Galleria Mall, Taunton
Kenzie Kids, Inc, Chestnut Hill Mall, Newton, MA
Shoe Show, Eastfield Mall, Springfield
Burlington Coat Factory, Eastfield Mall, Springfield
Brian Gear d/b/a Plato's Closet, Eastfield Mall, Springfield
Pacific Sunwear, Eastfield Mall, Springfield
Pacific Sunwear, South Shore Plaza, Braintree
Gymboree, Inc, South Shore Plaza, Braintree
Aeropostale, Cape Cod Mall, Hyannis
Pacific Sunwear, Cape Cod Mall, Hyannis
Hollister, Co., Cape Cod Mall, Hyannis
Christmas Tree Shop, Assembly Square Mall, Somerville
Puma North America, Natick Collection, Natick
Spencer's Gifts, Natick Collection, Natick
Finish Line, Swansea Mall, Swansea
KB Toy Store, Cambridgeside Galleria Mall, Cambridge

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