11-Year-Old Operates Forklift at Kentucky Distribution Center, Authorities Alarmed

A distribution center in Kentucky has been fined $30,000 by the U.S. Labor Department for illegally employing an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old. The children were found to have worked for months, with one operating a forklift and the other picking up orders in the warehouse. The center violated federal child labor laws by employing workers under the legal age, working them more hours than allowed, and engaging them in hazardous tasks. The court has ordered the center to cease employing children, pay civil penalties, and provide compliance training. This incident highlights an alarming increase in child labor violations in the U.S., with nearly 4,000 cases found in fiscal year 2022, a 60% increase over the past five years.