DOL Finds Aurora Restaurant Used Minors for Hazardous Tasks, Denied Overtime

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division announced on Feb. 25, 2026 that an investigation of a full-service restaurant in Aurora, in the Denver metropolitan area, found the employer violated federal child-labor law by assigning minors to load hazardous equipment and by having minors work outside legally allowed hours, and that the restaurant denied 19 chefs, kitchen staff, and other workers their earned overtime pay.

The Wage and Hour Division enforces the Fair Labor Standards Act and published its finding on the department’s official website on Feb. 25, 2026. The department’s news release identifies Aurora as the location of the employer and ties the violations to both child-labor provisions and overtime protections under federal law; the publicly visible release was hosted on an official dot gov site.

The WHD excerpt supplied to the public does not include the restaurant’s name, the ages of the minors involved, the specific hazardous equipment that minors were assigned to load, the precise hours worked outside legal limits, or any dollar amounts for back wages or penalties. The release also does not state whether the employer has agreed to a compliance plan or paid any damages. Those details are not in the Feb. 25, 2026 news excerpt and must be confirmed through the full WHD case file or a WHD district office contact.

Colorado state guidance on youth employment provides statutory and procedural context for the federal finding. The Colorado Division of Labor Standards and Statistics’ Interpretive Notice & Formal Opinion #22 notes that “This INFO covers what types of work, hours, and pay are allowed for minors under age 18, under: the Colorado Youth Employment Opportunity Act (‘CYEOA’), C.R.S. Title 8, Article 12 and other Colorado laws applicable to employees and employers generally; and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (‘FLSA’).” The CDLE guidance includes the example: “At age 14, restaurant work is permitted, but not using certain power-driven food preparation devices. So restaurants can employ 14-year-olds, just not to use disallowed devices.”

INFO #22 also explains Colorado’s enforcement approach for youth-law complaints and remedies. “After reviewing the employer’s response and other relevant evidence from any source, the Division determines whether violations occurred. If the Division finds a violation, it may issue an order to cease the violation and assess damages payable to the claimant and fines payable to the Division. Remedies ordered will depend on factors including violation type and scope, and the promptness of any redress by the employer.” The CDLE provides complaint submission routes at its Division of Labor Standards and Statistics office, 633 17th Street, Denver, CO 80202-2107; by phone at 303-318-8441; by email at cdle_labor_standards@state.co.us; or by fax at 303-318-8400.

With WHD’s finding marked Feb. 25, 2026 and 19 workers identified as denied overtime, the immediate reporting priorities are to obtain the full WHD case file for the employer name and address in Aurora, confirm the ages of the minors and the specific equipment and hours at issue, and learn whether WHD assessed back wages or civil money penalties. The agency finding places the Aurora restaurant squarely within federal scrutiny over child-labor and overtime compliance and could foreshadow orders or monetary remedies under federal and Colorado law.