Deseret News | Company fined over child-labor violations

Reader comments
Company fined over child-labor violations

Anonymous | 4:42 p.m. Sept. 29, 2009

Shameful

let them be | 5:55 p.m. Sept. 29, 2009

I worked at WW for my first real job when I was 15. I was very grateful because nobody else would hire me. Who is the government to tell me how many hours I can work on a school day or any other day? That decision should be left to me and my parents.

Brady | 8:22 p.m. Sept. 29, 2009

This is nonsense, As a 15 year old I worked for wats and they would only let me work the hours that I could work. They kept the rules. I wish I could have worked more hours, however they wouldn't let me. Even when they asked people to work additional hours, they wouldn't allow me to work extra because it would have been against the law. I am also certain that they don't hire anyone under 15 because when we turned 15 we were excited that we could work for wats.

Comments continue below

Heaven Forbid | 2:40 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

Heaven forbid that teenagers actually have a job and learn how to work. No, it's more important (and wisdom by federal bureaucrats and nannyism) that teens be free to wander the neighborhood streets, be involved in gangs, or play endless video games. Department of Labor once sued a company in Bountiful for the same thing saying it was "too dangerous" for teens to operate power tools such as palm sanders and cordless drills. (But OK for teens to be around deep-fat fryers at 400 degrees hot oil at McDonalds! This sounds like total overreaching by the Feds, once again, to me. but then again, with Obama at the wheel and needing all of the income he can possibly grab a hold of to "redistribute" to others, I guess such large, record-breaking fines are a new way to tax people.

Labor laws | 4:16 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

Were it not for these child labor laws children get exploited and abused by employers. Sure, some children are eager to work and will do anything to get a job, but it has to be reasonable. Historical data from the early 1900's show how easy it is to exploit children.

It shouldn't be left up to the families and children either, the families all need money and many are willing to sacrifice their children for this extra income.

These kinds of employers are not your friends, they go after children for a reason, cheap labor, paying them less than minimum wage. Children get stressed on these jobs and it does interfere with family and school and there performance. And telemarketers are the meanest bunch of employers, that's why adults won't work for them, except as a last resort.

You can also bet that the DWFS did not come about with these findings on their own. They don't investigate businesses with individual complaints, and class action complaints are not allowed by the Utah's workforce laws. A complaint must have been filed at the federal level for the DWFS to investigate them.

Ultra Bob | 6:21 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

In the sprit of “equal justice for all” Watsplans should not only be fined, but should not be funded any further by taxpayer dollars.

Based in Orem Utah it is likely that Watsplans is a conservative organization. Conservatives should be required to obey our laws also.

Old Guy | 6:32 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

What moral authority gives anonymous the right to judge the actions of this company as "shameful" when the facts are not even known. In this country one is innocent until proven guilty. The comments from two who worked there would indicate that the company made every effort to abide by the law. What is shameful about providing the opportunity to earn a few dollars to some willing young people? They should be praised for what they have done if they obeyed the law and provided a good working environment.

Studies First | 6:51 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

At that age, it's more important that children be getting an education, not providing a cheap labor source. That's the whole point of the law. But I guess if the local standard is to get married at 18 and not further your education, this encourages the attitude that the kids should put in as many hours as the company wants.

Midwest Member | 7:04 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

Since Utah is at the very bottom of per-student school funding, it doesn't surprise me that the rank and file DN readers would also be pro child labor -- not much value placed on the rising generation. Maybe if you had gotten a good education you would know the history of why these laws were needed. Incidentally, child labor rules passed long before a black man became president.

Dan | 7:45 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

Most people commenting here are seriously brain dead. The reason why these laws are in place is so we don't end up like China or Thailand. If they didn't have laws like this, it would only be a matter of time before young kids are exploited to work long days and slave away for greedy company owners. Feel blessed that your country cares enough to set some standards.

Dave | 7:48 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

That will learn them. Hiring Americans. Haven't they heard of India?

Barbara | 8:27 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

I love what Dave said!

Don't you people | 8:48 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

know your history. You young people who wrote on this article should read a little history about what this country was like before child labor laws. You are wrong and you are ignorant on this subject because you are young and naive.

If this company is guilty, fine them and pull any funding they get from the government. Companieslike this are making tons of money off these children. Thirteen year old. How can you justify that.

Extreme fines | 8:54 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

Although I completely understand why we have child labor laws, the fine is extreme in my opinion. Also, to Midwest Member, Utah has a very highly educated population, and learning to work at a young age is extremely important. I have worked since I was a young child on the farm, then worked at other places as soon as it was legal. By doing so, I learned the importance of hard work, but also to balance in my life. I played sports throughout my life, worked and went to college full-time, and got an MBA. I see these students who don't work until they are done with college and many of them have a difficult time in the real world- the workplace. Funding in Utah is terrible, but kids have a choice to succeed or not.

Jeff | 9:21 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

Wow. I worked at WW and we only did a little bit of the work most of it was done in the Philippines. I wonder if they have child labor laws in the Philippines and if they follow them? Those laws are to protect the kids. If we don't watch out for the kids who will.

Were it not for these child labor laws children get exploited and abused by employers. Sure, some children are eager to work and will do anything to get a job, but it has to be reasonable. Historical data from the early 1900's show how easy it is to exploit children.

Sterling | 9:37 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

Hiring illegals: O.K. Hiring local American teenagers: NOT O.K.!!!

If you do the crime... | 9:43 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

This company knew the rules.
If you break the law you have to pay.

I am sure that all of you pro child-labor posters will kindly be helping out with this fine.

Close them down | 9:50 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

This is only the first of many problems at Western Watts. How about the yearly fines that they recieve from the FEC for illeagal push polling....and least we forget about all of the many many ehtics complaints against them for the content of their polls. This place is a bad...close them down!

Great service | 9:52 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

Gee I wonder who will hire them now....they have 13 year olds making the phone calls. Great service to their clients.

Learn to Work | 9:59 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

I've worked my entire life. I bailed hay, fed cows, worked in restaurants and warehouses. I started at 12 years and it has only helped me in my life. I have a masters degree in electrical engineering and after 25 years of work am now studying for an MBA at BYU. I largely attribute my success to the work ethic I learned as a young boy. Teens need opportunities to work, though I do agree that we have to ensure they are not exploited.

California Andy | 10:29 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

Another case of fascist toaddyism to the labor unions. We have one sick govewrnment. Whenb I was six years old a neighbor asked my parents if I could walk thru his grain fields and pull wild radish and mustard. $0.25/hr. Any six year old will work for what was then five huge candy bars per hour. I worked after school till dark and on Saturdays. My thrifty mother made me save all but $0.05/hr. The beginninig of that savings eventually paid for an engineering degree and a long satisfying career. I shudder to think what would have happened to the kindly neighbor today. He would be buried so deep in the slammer he would never see daylight. This has become a truly sick nation.

Extremes | 10:29 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

The feds will place an extreme fine on a company for working a teenager more than 3 hours on a school day yet my children's teachers require a collective 5+ hours of homework each night and then threathen to penalize them with poor grades if they fail to put in the required time. Not saying homework is not important. Why is it that working more than 3 hours on a school night is more harmful than doing 5 hours of mandatory homework?

Them child labor laws | 11:35 a.m. Sept. 30, 2009

is turrible, why when I was a young'un, thinnin sugar beets was great - nowdays, bet my hoe wouldn't even meet OSHA standards.

I'm conflicted. | 12:00 p.m. Sept. 30, 2009

Can't stand the polling companies like Western Wats (and I HATE that they can circumvent the do-not-call list with their "surveys").

I also think if they broke the law then they should be held accountable for it.

On the other hand, it actually sounds like a pretty safe environment for teenagers to learn some workplace skills instead of just working in fast food.

I learned how to work on a farm, starting when I was 10, and then I learned how business works from experience with my father's small company starting at 14. (We're lucky the government never caught up with us I guess). I'm successful enough now that I can sit and post on DN message boards during the middle of the day and still make the house payment so I guess learning some job skills early wasn't a bad thing.

BH | 12:17 p.m. Sept. 30, 2009

Child labor laws are for a good reason, and have real value. Education should be the top priority for a 14-15 year old. work is a distant 3rd or 4th.

That said, the fine seems very excessive. The toughest fines ever levvied should be reserved for those employers who put youth to work in hazardous environments. Somehow, sitting in a cubicle with a PC and a phone does not seem to be that dangerous, and doesn't deserve one of the stiffest penalties ever.

Annonymous | 1:09 p.m. Sept. 30, 2009

Not knowing all the facts, which I'm sure will be of public record soon enough, if indeed the "perpetrators” exploited youth labor as has been done since the days of Republic & Imperial Rome through mid-20th century Western civilization factories and now 21st century third-world labor violators then perhaps an example should be made of a US company in a highly enlightened industry replete with PhDs, MBAs and the like (who would be hard pressed to plead ignorance given their advanced degrees) to suffer severe consequences for these actions to say nothing of the costs to their clients who unwittingly supported this practice. This doesn’t even begin to address potential damages created by employing these youths in a highly critical and analytic industry requiring acute judgment in executing surveys; one can only imagine the pressure these children were under to “get it right.” If I was a client I’d be furious ethically and fearful of potential legal exposure. We only need think back to the cases involving celebrities’ offshore product manufacturing skirting US laws again form cheap labor. Throw the book at them. And, by the way, where were the parents?

rnoble | 2:27 p.m. Sept. 30, 2009

my experience over the last 50+ years is that the work rules are too restrictive---children should be required to work either in or out of the home to contribute to the success of the household/family---i think they should begin that at an early age by shadowing someone older---as they become aware of the responsibilties they would become more independent workers---education is not just book learning and i have seen where judicious labor has served to motivate and instil better study results and behavior---as for workplace rules---creating child protection was only part of the picture---it also helped preserve jobs for adults and furthured discussions about minimum wage and work week hours for adults---with both concepts firmly entrenched it is time to revisit the child labor laws and address in some fashion ways to create alternatives to street corner and mall hanging around---many teens want independent income and many families would benefit from independent income but current rules discourage the use of that labor force---

Work Skills | 2:50 p.m. Sept. 30, 2009

I fully understand the need for child labor laws. I have read and studied the history that took place a century ago. That said, our children have had the opportunity to learn work skills taken from them. It is one of the reasons that fast food restaurants make no effort to hire teenagers and have instead turned to illegal alien workers.

The only way I was able to teach my boys the value of honest labor was to create a family owned lawn care service were they not only learned manual labor, but also how to operate a business. The child labor laws don't apply to family business such as farming. Of course we need to understand safety. My sons were good students, and are now successful in life.

I would like to see the high schools sponsor students in teen work situations, such as Western Wats, fast food, clerical, sales, and other safe types of jobs. Not only should these students get paid, but graded by their adviser/teacher as well. I doubt this will happen though because it takes more effort to teach children to work than to do it yourself, or hire illegal aliens.

Hero of Canton | 3:34 p.m. Sept. 30, 2009

Hold the phone. A company in Utah County being busted for illegal doings? I can't believe it...

Midwest Member | 3:54 p.m. Sept. 30, 2009

"There oughta be a law..." Funny how some of you are calling child labor laws excessive while simultaneously advocating for rules to require kids to work or turn the responsibility over to the schools to teach a work ethic. Working hard on the family farm farm, or being involved in some other family endeavor is not covered by child labor laws and is exactly the best place for children to learn all values--at home. There's a difference between family expectation and exploitation by an employer.

An Observer | 4:42 p.m. Sept. 30, 2009

Funny how these labors laws NEVER apply to lagoon,

who are allowed to pay below minumum wage, but NO complaints friom liberals,

and Funny how the liberals who complain have NO problems with legalized slavery of illegal immigrants.

and funny how all teen-agers who worked at Western Wats were payed fairly for their labor.

Mommy in VA | 6:43 p.m. Sept. 30, 2009

This place deserves every dollar they have to pay out. I worked there as a 16 year old and drove younger sister when she was 15. They were rude to their employees and when they told me that I wasn't allowed to take a break, I eventually did what I should have 2 years before and quit! I had many jobs as a kids and I have never seen any company treat their employees like their own property and I am glad to see it finally caught up to them.

Former Executive | 12:14 p.m. Oct. 1, 2009

As a former executive of Wats, all I can say is: "It's about time!!!!"

The blatant disregard for labor laws and constant search for loopholes regarding the Do Not Call list and many unreported botched surveys (radio shack ring a bell?) was appalling.

The move to "near-shore" the company to the Philippines was an obvious attempt to skirt labor laws.

The Lindorf family would be horrified at where Dave has taken the company. They wanted a place for college students and recent grads to plant roots in the industry.

Hope you enjoy the fines WW!!!

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