Belmar Dairy Queen owner fined after being accused of shortchanging underage workers

The Importance of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Introduction

The owner of the Dairy Queen franchise in Belmar has been fined $14,006 for violating federal child labor laws that involved nearly two dozen employees, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

Violation Details

• The owner, Konstantine Menegatos, also operates Dairy Queen franchises in Rutherford, West Milford, and Emerson.
• He paid a total of $9,764 in back wages to 15 employees.
• Menegatos failed to pay one employee minimum wage.
• He didn’t pay 14 workers time-and-a-half for working more than 40 hours a week.
• He employed 15-year-old minors more than three hours on school days, more than 18 hours a week when school was in session, and as late as 10 p.m., violating child labor provisions.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Fast food franchises like Dairy Queen offer minor-aged workers valuable work experience, but federal law ensures that experience does not come at the expense of a young worker’s education or related activities, according to Paula Ruffin, director of the Labor Department’s wage and hour division in Mountainside.

New Jersey business owners have been squeezed by a labor shortage that became acute during the COVID-19 pandemic. It prompted Governor Phil Murphy to ease some restrictions, allowing teens to work longer hours during the summer.

However, federal law still limits the hours that teens can work. For example, 14- and 15-year-olds can’t work later than 9 p.m. during the summer or 7 p.m. during the school year. And they can’t work more than three hours on a school day or eight hours on a non-school day.

Conclusion

The owner, Konstantine Menegatos, did not provide a comment regarding the violations.

The Labor Department’s investigation found multiple violations, including failure to pay minimum wage, failure to pay overtime, and violation of child labor provisions.

It is crucial to prioritize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure fair and ethical labor practices in all industries.

Michael L. Diamond is a business reporter who has been writing about the New Jersey economy and healthcare industry for more than 20 years. He can be reached at mdiamond@gannettnj.com.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The issue of violating federal child labor laws and underpaying employees is directly connected to SDG 8, which aims to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.

SDG 4: Quality Education

The article mentions that federal law ensures that work experience for minor-aged workers does not come at the expense of their education or related activities. This connects to SDG 4, which focuses on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor

The article highlights violations of federal child labor laws, indicating a need to address the worst forms of child labor and ensure its prohibition and elimination.

Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship

The article mentions that fast food franchises like Dairy Queen offer valuable work experience to minor-aged workers. This suggests a need to provide relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, to youth for employment and decent jobs.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group

The article mentions that the owner of the Dairy Queen franchise violated child labor provisions by employing 15-year-old minors more than three hours on school days and more than 18 hours a week when school was in session. This indicates a potential indicator to measure progress towards eradicating child labor.

Indicator 4.4.1: Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill

The article does not explicitly mention indicators related to SDG 4, but it does highlight the value of work experience for minor-aged workers. To measure progress towards providing relevant skills for employment, indicators related to the acquisition of technical and vocational skills can be considered.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: app.com

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