The company, Tuff Torq, was fined nearly $300,000 for hiring 10 children. It must also set aside $1.5 million to help the immigrant minors who were illegally employed.

The company, Tuff Torq, was fined nearly $300,000 for hiring 10 children. It must also set aside $1.5 million to help the immigrant minors who were illegally employed.

Immigrant children as young as 14 were found working illegally amid dangerous heavy equipment at a Tennessee firm that makes parts for lawn mowers sold by John Deere and other companies, according to Labor Department officials.

The company, Tuff Torq, was fined nearly $300,000 for hiring 10 children. As part of a consent agreement with the federal government, the company is also required to set aside $1.5 million to help the children who were illegally employed. Ryan Pott, general counsel for Tuff Torq’s majority owner, the Japanese firm Yanmar, acknowledged the violations to NBC News.

  • FunkPhenomenon@lemmy.zipEnglish
    346·
    8 months ago

    they lied about their age… the corporation’s HR dept really screwed the pooch but it’s probably difficult to perform background checks on people who are illegally entering the country.

    • prole@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      101·
      8 months ago

      it’s probably difficult to perform background checks on people who are illegally entering the country.

      So the default is to just hire a literal child and hope for the best? Do you not see how stupid that is.

    • Tilgare@lemmy.world
      91·
      8 months ago

      Well to work with heavy machinery, you have to be 18. You’ve clearly never met a 14 year old, but 4 years and puberty at that age make a BIG difference. These children were very obviously, well, children.

      • Leviathan@lemmy.world
        4·
        8 months ago

        I’ve seen people over 18 work on heavy machinery who I wouldn’t consider mature enough to do so. The older you get the more you cringe when you see someone work and know they’re gonna get hurt before they have a chance to live.