Effective December 1, 2009, violation of the child labor requirements of the North Carolina Wage and Hour Act will carry stiffer civil penalties: $500 for a first violation and $1,000 for a second violation. Criminal penalties for child labor violations that result in the death of a minor also have been increased. In addition, North Carolina employers are now required to keep records of the ages of all employees, and may be subject to increased civil penalties for failing to keep such records, particularly for employees under the age of 18. (House Bill 23)
Note: This article was published in the October 2009 issue of the North Carolina eAuthority.