The third primary area of FLSA regulation is its establishment of restrictions on the use of minors as employees. The principal thrust of these restrictions is to prevent the employment of children in various hazardous occupations and to restrict the hours during which they can work, both to ensure that there is sufficient time devoted to school and to avoid child workers having to work late night hours.
The U.S. Department of Labor, which enforces the FLSA, periodically performs audits, or inspections, of employers in industries where minors are frequently employed, such as the restaurant industry. Employers found to have violated the child-labor laws may be subjected to significant civil penalties, like fines, as well as orders to cease and desist from unlawful employment of minors.