HelloFresh under investigation for alleged migrant child labor: Report

THE US LABOR DEPARTMENT IS INVESTIGATING GERMAN-BASED MEAL-KIT COMPANY, HELLO FRESH, OVER ALLEGATIONS THE COMPANY HAS EMPLOYED MIGRANT CHILDREN TO COOK AND WORK AT ITS PACKAGING FACILITY IN ILLINOIS, AS RECENTLY AS THIS SUMMER, ABC NEWS REPORTS.

THE LABOR DEPARTMENT IS ALSO LOOKING INTO MIDWAY STAFFING, THE COMPANY THAT HIRED WORKERS FOR HELLOFRESH AND IS ACCUSED OF VIOLATING FEDERAL CHILD LABOR LAWS, THE REPORT SAID.

THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRANT SOLIDARITY, AN IMMIGRANT RIGHTS ADVOCACY GROUP, TOLD ABC NEWS THEY DISCOVERED AT LEAST SIX TEENAGERS, SOME OF WHOM ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE IMMIGRATED FROM GUATEMALA, WORKIG NIGHT SHIFTS AT THE FACILITY.

“WE WERE DEEPLY TROUBLED TO LEARN OF THE ALLEGATIONS MADE AGAINST A FORMER TEMPORARY STAFFING AGENCY,” A SPOKESPERSON FOR HELLOFRESH TOLD ABC NEWS IN A STATEMENT. “AS SOON AS WE LEARNED OF THESE ALLEGATIONS, WE IMMEDIATELY TERMINATED THE RELATIONSHIP. WE HAVE STRICT PROTOCOLS IN PLACE TO ENSURE ALL VENDORS FOLLOW OUR ROBUST GLOBAL ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE POLICIES. WE HAVE ZERO TOLERANCE FOR ANY FORM OF CHILD LABOR, AND WE HAVE TAKEN ACTION TO ENSURE NO MINORS PERFORM WORK IN OR HAVE ACCESS TO OUR FACILITIES.”

REUTERS REPORTED THAT MIDWAY STAFFING SAYS IT IS COOPERATING WITH THE LABOR DEPARTMENT’S INVESTIGATION AND ALSO DENIED EVER KNOWINGLY HIRING ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 TO WORK IN THE FACILITIES.

ACCORDING TO THE US LABOR DEPARTMENT, KIDS UNDER 18 CANNOT OPERATE POWER-DRIVEN MEAT PROCESSING MACHINES, SUCH AS MEAT

SLICERS, SAWS AND MEAT CHOPPERS AND CANNOT DO MOST JOBS IN MEAT AND POULTRY SLAUGHTERING, PROCESSING, RENDERING OR PACKING ESTABLISHMENTS.