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Can a business get away with breaking laws regarding employing minors?
Anonymous6 views3 answers
I know a minor who was offered a job, not understanding what the job really was. he was contacted by his resume job request on a craigslist jobs section. He was put to work with power & industrial tools, hazardous chemicals, among other things on a construction site. he was given gloves to work with but no hard hat. additionally, his supervisor took advantage of him in the construction trailer, making it clear he wouldn't have a job/income if he didn't do as his boss said. He was underage at the time of these events. can the company be held liable for these matters? given it was his supervisor and there are strict employment laws on minors... in addition, the minor was fired after a coworker informed the company he believed the supervisor was taking advantage of the minor(statutes limit?)
From your description it sounds as if there was a violation of criminal law and there may also be a private (civil) cause of action. How you pursue depends on what your goal is. You should contact an attorney and go through all the specific facts. If, by "taking advantage," you mean that the supervisor demanded sex from the minor, then that is a serious crime. I would suggest you consult a private attorney as well as law enforcement. Both the supervisor and the business could face criminal charges. If you pursued civil litigation, you may be able to collect money damages from the business.
There appears to be a long list of problems this employer violated, some possibly criminal, and others of a civil nature. An employment lawyer can help them work through what to do, which may include contacting the district attorney to press charges. One thing not to do, is threaten to have criminal charges brought unless they pay you, which is blackmail.
There are very, very specific rules that apply to the employment of minors in Utah. Check out this website: http://laborcommission.utah.gov/divisions/AntidiscriminationAndLabor/x_employment_of_youth.html. Then contact an attorney if you have any questions.
