DOL cites Aurora Mt. Fuji Hibachi for child-labor, trash compactor violation

Federal investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found that Mt. Fuji Hibachi Inc., doing business as Mt. Fuji Sushi & Hibachi in Aurora, violated child‑labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act by allowing a 17‑year‑old to load a trash compactor, and by scheduling 14 employees ages 14 and 15 to work beyond the hours permitted by law; the agency also found the employer denied overtime pay to 19 chefs, kitchen staff and other workers.

“The department’s Wage and Hour Division found that Mt. Fuji Hibachi Inc., doing business as Mt. Fuji Sushi & Hibachi, violated child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act by allowing a 17‑year‑old to load a trash compactor, a hazardous task prohibited for workers under 18,” the DOL said in its news release announcing the findings.

Federal rules classify compactors as a hazardous occupation for minors. “Under federal law, loading or operating power‑driven trash compactors is classified as a hazardous occupation and is strictly prohibited for workers under the age of 18,” OH&S Online quoted when summarizing the Wage and Hour Division’s determination.

Investigators also flagged illegal scheduling of younger teens. The DOL noted that “investigators also found the employer allowed 14 workers ages 14 and 15 to work later and longer hours than permitted by law,” and spelled out the hour limits: “Under federal law, children ages 14 and 15 may not work later than 7 p.m. between the day after Labor Day and May 31, or after 9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day, and they cannot work more than eight hours per day on a non‑school day.”

The Wage and Hour Division’s Feb. 25, 2026 announcement also said the employer “denied 19 chefs, kitchen staff, and other workers their earned overtime pay.” Secondary coverage of the investigation described the probe as having “resulted in significant penalties,” but the supplied DOL excerpt did not include any dollar amounts, civil penalty figures, back‑wage totals, case number or details of the enforcement mechanism.

The publicly released excerpts contain no statement from Mt. Fuji Hibachi Inc. or Mt. Fuji Sushi & Hibachi disputing the findings, and they do not provide the restaurant’s street address or the specific dates when the minors were scheduled past permitted hours. The DOL release likewise does not specify whether the 19 overtime‑denied workers have been ordered restitution or whether the department assessed civil money penalties.

The Wage and Hour Division announced its findings on February 25, 2026; obtaining the full DOL enforcement record and any employer response will be necessary to determine the amount of penalties or back wages, the agency’s chosen enforcement vehicle, and the corrective steps required of the Aurora restaurant.