TK Maxx has been charged with breaching child employment laws at its Werribee shop

A major clothing brand will face the music after being charged with breaching child employment laws.

TK Maxx Hobart store set to open at Northgate Shopping Centre on June 1st 2023. Picture: supplied

A major clothing outlet in Melbourne’s west could be slapped with more than $90,000 in fines for allegedly breaching child employment laws.

TK Maxx will face 33 criminal charges next month over alleged breaches of Victoria’s child employment laws at its Pacific Werribee store.

It has been alleged the store employed two children under 15 without a permit on 12 occasions, failed to ensure the children were correctly supervised and employed a child for more hours than they are permitted to work.

A child also allegedly worked at the shop beyond 9pm, while the shop also failed to provide children with a 30 minute break for every three hours worked.

Each offence carries a maximum $18,429 fine.

Any business that employs staff under 15 years old is required to have a permit, with Wage Inspectorate officers dispelling a common myth that child must be 14 years and nine months old to work without one.

Workers under 15 must also be supervised by someone with a Victorian working with children clearance.

During a school term children can only be employed for three hours a day and 12 hours a week, with this increasing to six hours and 30 hour weeks during holidays.

This was a result of a major investigation into child employment by Wage Inspectorate officers during the 2022/23 summer holidays.

More than 160 Melbourne businesses were inspected from eight shopping centres, with 29 potential offences detected from four businesses including TK Maxx.

The other three businesses received official warnings.

The company is scheduled to appear for mention at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in November.

Earlier this year Muffin Break faced 360 criminal charges over illegal child labour at its Southland store, allegedly breaking child employment laws by hiring three kids without a permit in 2022.

Wage Inspectorate Victoria also filed 355 charges against Red Rooster Wodonga for allegedly employing 10 kids under 15 on 168 occasions, while ice creamery Cold Rock Shepparton were slapped with 124 charges in relation to the employment of six children.

A travelling circus also famously had to pay more than $20,000 in fines after it employed three Chinese nationals, all aged 13 at the time, as acrobats.

The circus was caught out after one of the boys spent 10 days in hospital with bruising to the brain and concussion after he was hit in the head by a flying trapeze.