PROVO, Utah — Sodalicious, a Utah chain of drink and dessert shops, was found to be violation of federal child labor laws by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Founded in 2013 by Annie and Kevin Auernig, Sodalicious owns 25 locations primarily in Utah, with five locations each in Arizona and Idaho.
Investigators found that Sodalicious allowed 14- and 15-year-old employees to work past 7 p.m. when school was in session, after 9 p.m. during summer months, and more than 3 hours on a school day at four of its Utah locations in Midvale, Orem, Provo and South Jordan, violating the Fair Labor Standard Act's provisions regarding young people working in restaurants.
These violations were found as part of an investigation by the Department into child labor law infractions nationwide, which have been growing since the COVID-19 pandemic when more young workers were added to the workforce.
Sodalicious was fined $13,946 in penalties.
“Our investigators continue to see an increase in child labor violations, especially in the food service industry,” explained Wage and Hour Southwest Regional Administrator Betty Campbell.
“Employers like Sodalicious are legally responsible for knowing and complying with federal child labor laws and making sure their employment practices do not jeopardize the safety of young workers or interfere with their education.”
Federal labor law prohibits the employment of workers under the age of 14 in non-agricultural settings; 14- and 15-year-olds must work outside of school hours, and the number of hours allowed to work each day and week are limited under the law.
