Arkansas advocacy group suggests policies to curb child labor violations

Little Rock, AR — Reinstating employment certificates and allowing restitution to victims of child labor violations could halt the rapid rise in these violations in Arkansas, a new report from an advocacy group contends.

For its Preventing Exploitative Child Labor in Arkansas report, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Labor. Researchers for the organization found that the number of child labor violations jumped 266% in the state from 2020 through 2023. The service industry (mostly restaurants) accounted for 78% of the investigated cases.

They also found that state investigators have opened fewer cases since last summer. That’s when the Youth Hiring Act of 2023 (H.B. 1410) went into effect, repealing a century-old law that required employers hiring children younger than 16 to verify a job applicant’s age and obtain parental consent.

Since 2020, more than half of the violations were for allowing minors to work beyond the number of hours permitted by law. The second most common violation type: employers who hadn’t filed previously required employment certificates for 14- and 15-year-old workers.

Among AACF’s other policy recommendations:

• Enact whistleblower protections for anyone who reports violations and allow workers to file lawsuits against employers.
• Develop targeted outreach and education for food-service workers to help them understand legal requirements.
• Dedicate funds to hire more state investigators, instead of depending on complaints to learn about potential violations.

“We know what works because child labor protections, such as employment certificates, had been in place in Arkansas for more than a century,” report author Pete Gess, economic policy director, said in a press release. “We all want teenagers to learn the valuable lessons that come from work experience. But their employment should not come at the expense of their safety or educational progress.”