The company, Tuff Torq, was fined nearly $300,000 for hiring 10 children. It must also set aside $1.5 million to help the immigrant minors who were illegally employed.

Immigrant children as young as 14 were found working illegally amid dangerous heavy equipment at a Tennessee firm that makes parts for lawn mowers sold by John Deere and other companies, according to Labor Department officials.

The company, Tuff Torq, was fined nearly $300,000 for hiring 10 children. As part of a consent agreement with the federal government, the company is also required to set aside $1.5 million to help the children who were illegally employed. Ryan Pott, general counsel for Tuff Torq’s majority owner, the Japanese firm Yanmar, acknowledged the violations to NBC News.

  • snooggums@midwest.social
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    156
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    10 months ago

    The company is being fined, so no single person is being held accountable monetarily either

    • WarmSoda@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      49
      ·
      10 months ago

      You’d think since companies are people they’d be thrown in jail or something.

      • Aniki 🌱🌿@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        28
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        10 months ago

        They would but companies usually are considered rich people so they get the same treatment.

    • kboy101222@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      45
      ·
      10 months ago

      Whoever signed off on hiring literal children should be held accountable. Actually holding these people to accountability is the only way this is getting solved

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      10 months ago

      Google tells me:

      Tuff Torq has 513 employees, and the revenue per employee ratio is $311,891. Tuff Torq peak revenue was $160.0M in 2023.

      They were fined $300,000. So less than one employees’ worth of revenue.

      Cost of doing business, as usual.

      • jordanlund@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        10 months ago

        Fined $300K, but also have to give up $1.5M in profit for the 10 kids. $150,000 per kid, or, you know, 1/2 of the revenue they generated. ;)

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          10 months ago

          Well I’m sure a company with ethics, like John Deere probably, will stop doing business with Tuff Torq now. Definitely.

          • jordanlund@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            10 months ago

            No, they’ll just re-negotiate their contract to get a better deal causing Tuff Torque to treat their remaining employees worse.