A retailer at the Walpole Mall was among those cited this summer by the state Attorney General’s office for violating child labor laws. The Walpole Old Navy branch was cited on four counts of employment of a minor without a work permit.
Old Navy was fined $200 for the violations, according to the Attorney General’s office.
In total, the Attorney General’s office issued 27 citations in the sweep, most for employing minors without work permits. Attorney General Martha Coakley said this is an improvement over the Dec. 2007 holiday shopping season, when her office issued 31 citations for 177 violations.
“Our office is pleased to see more retailers making strides to comply with the state’s child labor laws,” Coakley said in a statement. “These laws are essential to protecting the health and safety of our teen workers and the people of the Commonwealth.”
The Massachusetts Child Labor Laws include restrictions on both the type of jobs minors can have, as well as the hours 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.
