The Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office has signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division.

DETROIT – A Detroit grocery store has paid a $10,000 fine for employing several minors in violation of federal child labor laws by allowing them to operate trash compactors and tend to bottle recycling machines. The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division reports Greenfield Market in Detroit allowed workers between the ages of 15 and 17 to operate or tend to the machinery. “Businesses that employ minors must comply with federal laws that protect youth in the workforce.”AdThe Fair Labor Standards Act establishes both hours and occupational standards for minor employees. Children under age 18 may not be employed in any occupation the Secretary of Labor has declared to be hazardous. AdBack in 2019: Nearly 40 Michigan businesses fined for violating wage, child labor laws

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel created a new task force to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of fraud in the unemployment insurance program amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The task force plans to use IP addresses and financial records to identify and prosecute the fraudsters. Officials say this year’s surge in unemployment claims from Michigan families due to the COVID-19 crisis and the urgency to process the claims created opportunities for fraudsters to exploit the system. MORE: Scammers causing even more delays for Michigan unemployment systemThe task force will be led by Nessel, the U.S. Department of Labor, Michigan State Police (MSP) and the Michigan departments of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Management & Budget and Treasury. “Our message to those who wish to fraudulently benefit from the COVID-19 crisis is that we’re watching and you will be caught.”Individuals can report fraud in the unemployment insurance program online here.