Perdue Farms has agreed to pay $4 million in restitution and fines after employing children in hazardous occupations at its Accomac, Virginia facility. The US Department of Labor found that the company’s actions violated the Fair Labor Standards Act, which prohibits child labor.
The hazardous work included deboning chicken using electric knives, and the conditions exceeded the permitted working hours during the school week. Perdue Farms contracted with temporary staffing agencies to hire children for these jobs.
As part of the agreement, the company will pay restitution to the affected children, organizations that advocate for child labor victims, and fund prevention efforts. The Department of Labor imposed a $150,000 fine on Perdue Farms and a $125,000 civil penalty on one of the staffing agencies.
Perdue Farms denied any wrongdoing, stating it cooperated with the investigation but strongly disagreed with the Labor Department’s findings. However, the company acknowledged that prolonged disputes did not address the child labor crisis.
Source: https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/accomack-county/ap-perdue-agrees-to-pay-4-million-after-children-worked-hazardous-jobs-labor-department-says