U.S. Department of Labor
FLSA - Child Labor Rules
Enforcement
The U.S. Department of Labor encourages, and in fact, relies on employers to voluntarily comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including the child labor rules. However, the FLSA does provide several enforcement tools. The Labor Department uses these tools, when necessary, to compel compliance with the FLSA and its child labor regulations.
The FLSA gives the Labor Department the authority to investigate possible violations of the rules, including the power to examine an employer's records, and to interview employees to determine if the employer is in compliance with the Act. When violations are found, an investigator will explain the violations to the employer and seek agreement for future compliance. But the Labor Department also may take any of the following actions.
- Assess civil money penalties.
- Seek an injunction in the Federal Courts.
- Initiate criminal action in the Federal Courts.
- Take a "hot goods" action in the Federal Courts.
You may obtain more information about any of the above enforcement actions by clicking on the desired topic. You may also look at records as a defense to see how you can avoid unintentional violations of the child labor rules and at the FLSA enforcement page, which provides additional information.
