Massachusetts Ski Resort Among Group Penalized For Child Labor Violations

A company that runs ski resorts in Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire has agreed to resolve child labor law violations and pay a penalty of over $21,500, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday.

Investigators with the department's Wage and Hour Division say the resorts are Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock, Massachusetts; Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway, New Hampshire; and Bromley Mountain Ski Resort in Peru, Vermont.

Investigators say their owner, The Fairbank Group LLC, employed 44 minors, ages 14 or 15, outside of the hour restrictions for that age group. Some youths worked more than eight hours on non-school days, past 7 p.m. during the school year, or more than three hours on school days. Others worked more than 18 hours during a school week.

A Labor Department spokesman said the investigation covered February 2016 through March 2018. The teens worked as ticket sellers and checkers; children's center playroom attendants; park attendants; housekeepers; and rental staff fitting helmets and boots.

The resorts have agreed to train supervisors and instruct minors on child labor requirements, use time clock software to monitor work hours and appoint compliance directors to oversee minors' employment activity.