TWIN FALLS, ID – The U.S. Department of Labor has reached an agreement with a south-central Idaho grocery store requiring the employer to pay $250,833 in civil money penalties, $5,078 in back wages and damages, and take steps to ensure future compliance with federal child labor laws after investigators found child labor and wage violations at numerous locations. The settlement follows an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division that determined Swensen’s Magic Markets LLC violated federal child labor laws by allowing six minor-aged workers to work in hazardous duties, such as cleaning meat slicers, meat tenderizers and grinders, loading trash compactors, and operating a rotisserie. Swensen’s Magic Markets also required youth to work outside of legally allowed hours and employed a 13-year-old child, which is under the legal age of employment in non-agricultural jobs.    “Early work experience should not come at the expense of a child’s well-being and educational opportunities,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Katherine Walum in Portland, Oregon. “Federal law protects young workers from the dangers involved in the operation and maintenance of commercial-grade equipment, and ensures they are not working late hours on school nights. Employers who are unclear about child labor laws should contact the U.S. Department of Labor to get their questions answered.”In addition to the child labor violations, the division found that Swensen’s Magic Markets failed to combine all work hours from various locations, resulting in overtime violations for three workers who did not receive additional half-time pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. The division recovered $2,539 in back wages and an equal amount in damages for those workers. “Employers must abide by child labor laws and regulations,” added Walum. “Employers, parents, and school personnel should visit our YouthRules.gov website to learn how to protect young workers.” Swensen’s Magic Markets LLC has about 80 workers across its locations in Hagerman, Paul, and Twin Falls. The Department of Labor’s YouthRules site is a free, online guide that offers information about protections for young workers to youth, parents, employers and educators. Through the YouthRules initiative, the department and its partners promote developmental work experiences that help prepare young workers to enter the workforce. The Wage and Hour Division has also published Seven Child Labor Best Practices for Employers to help employers comply with the law.Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division and the Fair Labor Standards Act’s child labor provisions. Employers and workers can call the division with questions and requests for compliance assistance through the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Download the agency’s free Timesheet App for iPhone and Android devices to track hours and pay.