A Tennessee parts manufacturer for major companies including John Deere and Yamaha has been ordered to turn over $1.5 million in profits after the Department of Labor found children employed in dangerous jobs.
The $1.5 million that the company, Tuff Torq, will have to turn over will be used to compensate victims, department officials said.The company was also fined $296,951 for subjecting "10 children to oppressive child labor," according to the department. "The DOL did identify temporary workforce employees at the Tuff Torq facility that were subject to child labor violations," an attorney for Tuff Torq said in a statement. "The temporary workforce employees were provided to and placed at Tuff Torq by a temporary workforce staffing agency. Tuff Torq did not directly hire and employ the individuals.