LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Federal investigators found more than two dozen children working in Las Vegas valley pizza restaurants working more hours than federally allowed and sometimes performing dangerous tasks while on the job, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Labor.
The investigation involved 28 children ages 15 to 17 years old working at 10 Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza (more commonly referred to as ‘Blaze Pizza’) locations in Las Vegas and Henderson from June 2020 to June 2023, according to a department spokesperson. Those locations, owned and operated by California-based company Bryz Guyz Inc., were fined $277,414 in civil penalties following the investigation.
The news release said 23 children were operating industrial pizza dough mixers which is considered a dangerous task and five 15-year-olds were working more hours, sometimes as late as 10:30 p.m. which goes against the Fair Labor Standards Act. Children who are 15 are not allowed to work more than three hours on school days and no later than 7 p.m. during the school year.
“Learning new skills in the workforce is an important part of growing up but we must protect children and ensure their first jobs are safe and do not interfere with their education or well-being,” Wage and Hour Division District Director Gene Ramos in Las Vegas said. “The Fair Labor Standards Act allows these important work experiences but ensures that when children work, they are employed in a manner that promotes their health, safety and educational opportunities.”
John Aldrich, managing partner at Aldrich Law Firm, said labor laws on the state level are less restrictive than those on the federal. In fact, Nevada allows employees under the age of 16 to work up to eight hours in one day without a time-of-day restriction.
But, federal laws take precedence. He said both are intended to ensure a minor’s safety and education.
“Generally, you want to follow federal law because it is what will preempt the state law,” Aldrich said inside his office Monday afternoon. “The work (minor employees are) supposed to be doing is supposed to be, sort of menial. Cleaning tables, washing fruits and vegetables.”
The U.S. Department of Labor spokesperson and news release gave no indication that any of the 28 teenage workers were let go as a result of this investigation or ever injured on the job. Bryz Guyz Inc. operators were instead provided training on child labor standards and told to prohibit the operation of pizza dough mixers by anyone under the age of 18 years old.
The pizza company is based in Pasadena, California, and has more than 300 restaurants in 38 states. The first Nevada location opened in 2015.