The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has found significant violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s child labor and wage provisions at 14 franchisee-owned Piggly Wiggly grocery stores in Alabama and Mississippi. Employers have been assessed $53,037 in civil money penalties for permitting a total of 31 minor employees at 11 of the stores to conduct prohibited hazardous jobs. Minimum wage and overtime back wages totaling $12,547 will be paid by seven stores to 56 employees who were denied proper compensation for all hours worked, in violation of the FLSA. More.