Labour Department Files Complaint Against Hyundai for Child Labour Violations

The United States Department of Labour (DOL) has filed a complaint against Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama LLC, SMART Alabama LLC, and Best Practice Service, LLC, for the illegal employment of children. This action follows an investigation by the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division that uncovered a 13-year-old child working at an assembly plant in Luverne, Alabama.

“A 13-year-old working on an assembly line in the United States of America shocks the conscience,” stated Wage and Hour Division Administrator Jessica Looman. “As we work to stop illegal child labour where we find it, we also continue to ensure that all employers are held accountable for violating the law.”

The investigation revealed that the child was employed for 50–60 hours per week, operating machines for sheet metal used in auto parts. The complaint alleges that the companies wilfully and repeatedly violated the child labour provisions of the Fair Labour Standards Act between July 11, 2021, and February 1, 2022.

The department’s complaint emphasises the joint employment of all three companies. Best Practice Service sent the underage worker to SMART Alabama, which supplies components to Hyundai’s manufacturing plant. “The Department of Labour’s complaint seeks to hold all three employers accountable in the supply chain,” said Solicitor of Labour Seema Nanda. “Companies cannot escape liability by blaming suppliers or staffing companies for child labour violations when they are in fact also employers themselves.”