Chapter 103

103.155(1)(e) (e) “Site principal” means the person designated by an entity principal to oversee the day-to-day operations of a lodging establishment.

103.155(2) (2) Training.

103.155(2)(a) (a) Each employer shall provide training regarding identifying and preventing human trafficking crimes to employees who are likely to interact with the public and vulnerable individuals, as determined by the department. At a minimum, employers shall provide such training to all of their employees who are private security officers, public transit managers, and adult entertainment establishment managers. Owners of adult entertainment establishments are required to undergo the same training at the same intervals as managers employed at those entities.

103.155(2)(b) (b) Each entity principal shall provide training regarding identifying and preventing human trafficking crimes to employees who are likely to interact with the public and vulnerable individuals, as determined by the department. At a minimum, each entity principal shall provide such training to the site principal. Entity principals are required to undergo the same training at the same intervals as the site principal.

103.155(2)(c) (c) The training required under this section shall include at least all of the following:

103.155(2)(c)1. 1. The definitions of human trafficking and the commercial exploitation of children.

103.155(2)(c)2. 2. Guidance on how to identify individuals who are most at risk for human trafficking.

103.155(2)(c)3. 3. Guidance on how to identify the signs of human trafficking and how to identify individuals potentially engaged in the act of trafficking.

103.155(2)(c)4. 4. As relevant, the difference between labor trafficking and sex trafficking specific to the hotel and motel sector.

103.155(2)(c)5. 5. As relevant, guidance on the role of hospitality employees in reporting and responding to human trafficking.

103.155(2)(c)6. 6. The contact information of appropriate agencies, including the toll-free telephone number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline or the telephone numbers of the appropriate local law enforcement agencies.

103.155(2)(d) (d) The training required under this section shall be at least 20 minutes in length, in person or interactive, and shall be undergone or provided within 60 days of an individual becoming an entity principal, site principal, or owner of an adult entertainment establishment, or an employee being hired, and at least every 2 years thereafter.

103.155(2)(e) (e) Except for individuals who are required by law to report suspected human trafficking to law enforcement agencies, the failure to report a human trafficking case by an owner or employee who is trained as required under this section does not, by itself, result in the civil liability of any entity principal, site principal, owner, or employee to the human trafficking victim in the case in question or to any other party.

103.155(3) (3) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules to implement this section.

103.155(4) (4) Educational video. The department shall produce a training video regarding the subjects in sub. (2) (c) and make the video available to the public at no cost on the department’s website.

103.155 History History: 2023 a. 237; s. 35.17 correction in (1) (d) 2.

103.16 103.16 Seats for employees; penalty. Every employer employing employees in any manufacturing, mechanical or mercantile establishment in this state shall provide suitable seats for its employees, and shall permit the use of those seats by its employees when the employees are not necessarily engaged in the active duties for which they are employed. Any employer who violates this section may be fined not less than $10 nor more than $30 for each offense.

103.16 History History: 1975 c. 94 s. 91 (17); 1997 a. 253.

103.165 103.165 Employee’s cash bonds to be held in trust; duty of employer; penalty.

103.165(1) (1) Where any person requests any employee to furnish a cash bond, the cash constituting such bond shall not be mingled with the moneys or assets of such person demanding the same, but shall be deposited by such person in a bank, trust company, savings bank or savings and loan association doing business in this state whose deposits or shares are insured by a federal agency to the extent of $10,000, as a separate trust fund, and it shall be unlawful for any person to mingle such cash received as a bond with the moneys or assets of any such person, or to use the same. No employer shall deposit more than $10,000 with any one depository. The bank book, certificate of deposit or other evidence thereof shall be in the name of the employer in trust for the named employee, and shall not be withdrawn except after an accounting had between the employer and employee, said accounting to be had within 10 days from the time relationship is discontinued or the bond is sought to be appropriated by the employer. All interest or dividends earned by such sum deposited shall accrue to and belong to the employee and shall be turned over to said employee as soon as paid out by the depository. Such deposit shall at no time and in no event be subject to withdrawal except upon the signature of both the employer and employee or upon a judgment or order of a court of record.

103.165(2) (2) In the event of the failure of any person, such moneys on deposit shall constitute a trust fund for the benefit of the persons who furnished such bonds and shall not become the property of the assignee, receiver or trustee of such insolvent person.

103.165(3) (3) 

103.165(3)(a) (a) In case an employee who was required to give a cash bond dies before the cash bond is withdrawn in the manner provided in sub. (1), the accounting and withdrawal may be effected not less than 5 days after the employee’s death and before the filing of a petition for letters testamentary or other letters authorizing the administration of the decedent’s estate, by the employer with any of the following, in the following order:

103.165(3)(a)1. 1. The decedent’s surviving spouse or domestic partner under ch. 770.

103.165(3)(a)2. 2. The decedent’s children if the decedent leaves no surviving spouse or domestic partner under ch. 770.

103.165(3)(a)3. 3. The decedent’s father or mother if the decedent leaves no surviving spouse, domestic partner under ch. 770, or children.

103.165(3)(a)4. 4. The decedent’s brother or sister if the decedent leaves no surviving spouse, domestic partner under ch. 770, children, or parent.

103.165(3)(b) (b) The accounting and withdrawal under par. (a) shall be effected in the same manner and with like effect as if such accounting and withdrawal were accomplished by and between the employer and employee as provided in sub. (1).

103.165(3)(c) (c) The amount of the cash bond, together with principal and interest, to which the deceased employee would have been entitled had the deceased employee lived, shall, as soon as paid out by the depository, be turned over to the person designated under par. (a) effecting the accounting and withdrawal with the employer. The turning over shall be a discharge and release of the employer to the amount of the payment.

103.165(3)(d) (d) If no persons designated under par. (a) survive, the employer may apply the cash bond, or so much of the cash bond as may be necessary, to paying creditors of the decedent in the order of preference prescribed in s. 859.25 for satisfaction of debts by personal representatives. The making of payment under this paragraph shall be a discharge and release of the employer to the amount of the payment.

103.165(4) (4) Any person who violates this section shall be punished by a fine equal to the amount of the bond or by imprisonment for not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days, or both.

103.165 History History: 1991 a. 221; 1993 a. 486; 1995 a. 225; 2001 a. 102; 2005 a. 155 s. 40; Stats. 2005 s. 103.165; 2009 a. 28.

103.17 103.17 Mutual forfeit. Any employer engaged in manufacturing that requires its employees, under penalty of forfeiture of a part of the wages earned by those employees, to provide a notice of intention to leave the employer’s employ shall be liable for the payment of a like forfeiture if the employer discharges, without similar notice, an employee, other than for incapacity or misconduct, except in case of a general suspension of labor in the employer’s shop or factory or in the department of the employer’s shop or factory in which the employee is employed.

103.17 History History: 1993 a. 492; 1997 a. 253.

103.18 103.18 Threat or promise to influence vote. No person shall, by threatening to discharge a person from his or her employment or threatening to reduce the wages of a person or by promising to give employment at higher wages to a person, attempt to influence a qualified voter to give or withhold the voter’s vote at an election.

103.18 History History: 1993 a. 492.

103.20 103.20 Penalty. Any person who violates s. 103.15 (2) or (3), 103.17, or 103.18 shall be fined not more than $100.

103.20 History History: 1985 a. 29; 1985 a. 73 s. 8; 2017 a. 11.

103.21 103.21 Street trades; definitions. As used in ss. 103.21 to 103.31:

103.21(1) (1) Every minor selling or distributing newspapers or magazines on the streets or other public place, or from house to house, is in an “employment” and an “employee,” and each independent news agency or (in the absence of all such agencies) each selling agency of a publisher or (in the absence of all such agencies) each publisher, whose newspapers or magazines the minor sells or distributes, is an “employer” of the minor. Every minor engaged in any other street trade is in an “employment” and an “employee,” and each person furnishing the minor articles for sale or distribution or regularly furnishing the minor material for blacking boots is the minor’s “employer”.

103.21(1g) (1g) “House-to-house employer” means an employer who employs minors, either directly or through an agent who need not be an employee of the employer, to conduct street trades from house to house through personal contact with prospective customers.

103.21(1r) (1r) “Municipality” means a city, village or town.

103.21(2) (2) “Nonprofit organization” means an organization described in section 501 (c) of the internal revenue code.

103.21(3) (3) “Permit officer” means any person designated by the department to issue street trade permits.

103.21(4) (4) “Private school” has the meaning given in s. 115.001 (3r).

103.21(5) (5) “Public school” has the meaning given in s. 115.01 (1).

103.21(6) (6) “Street trade” means the selling, offering for sale, soliciting for, collecting for, displaying or distributing any articles, goods, merchandise, commercial service, posters, circulars, newspapers or magazines, or the blacking of boots, on any street or other public place or from house to house.

103.21(7) (7) “Tribal school” has the meaning given in s. 115.001 (15m).

103.21 History History: 1971 c. 271; 1983 a. 189; 1985 a. 1; 1989 a. 113; 1993 a. 492; 2009 a. 302.

103.21 Annotation There can be no employment under sub. (1) between a publisher and a minor distributing newspapers without the publisher having actual or implied knowledge of the minor’s activities. Beard v. Lee Enterprises, Inc., 225 Wis. 2d 1, 591 N.W.2d 156 (1999), 96-3393.

103.22 103.22 General standards and powers of the department. The general standards for the employment of minors set forth in s. 103.65 apply to the employment of minors in street trades, and in relation to that employment the department has the powers and duties specified in s. 103.66. Except as the department exercises those powers, the employment of minors in street trades shall be in accordance with ss. 103.23 to 103.31.

103.22 History History: 1971 c. 271.

103.22 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. DWD 271, Wis. adm. code.

103.23 103.23 Age minimum.

103.23(1) (1) Except as provided in sub. (2), a minor under 12 years of age shall not be employed or permitted to work at any time in any street trade.

103.23(2) (2) A minor under 12 years of age may work in a fund-raising sale for a nonprofit organization, a public school, a private school, or a tribal school under the following conditions:

103.23(2)(a) (a) Each minor must give the nonprofit organization, public school, private school, or tribal school written approval from the minor’s parent or guardian.

103.23(2)(b) (b) Each minor under 9 years of age or each group containing one or more minors under 9 years of age must be physically accompanied by a parent or a person at least 16 years of age.

103.23 History History: 1971 c. 271; 1973 c. 183; 1985 a. 1; 2009 a. 302.

103.24 103.24 Hours of work. The department shall determine and fix reasonable hours of employment for minors under 16 years of age in street trades. Except as provided in this section, the department may not fix hours of employment for minors under 16 years of age in street trades that exceed the maximum hours per day and per week specified in s. 103.68 (2) (a) and (b), that exceed the maximum days per week specified in s. 103.68 (2) (c), or that begin earlier or end later than the hours specified in s. 103.68 (2) (d) and (e). The department may not limit the hours of employment for minors 16 years of age or over in street trades or the hours of employment for minors of any age who are engaged in the delivery of newspapers to the consumer.

103.24 History History: 1971 c. 271; 2011 a. 32.

103.24 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ss. DWD 271.03 and 271.04, Wis. adm. code.

103.245 103.245 Designation of a permit officer.

103.245(1) (1) 

103.245(1)(a) (a) The department shall designate a school board, as defined in s. 115.001 (7), as a permit officer unless the school board refuses the designation.

103.245(1)(b) (b) A school board designated as a permit officer under par. (a) may assign the duties of permit officer to an officer or employee of the school district.

103.245(2) (2) The department may designate persons other than school boards as permit officers, regardless of whether any school board refuses designation as a permit officer under sub. (1) (a).

103.245 History History: 1987 a. 187.

103.25 103.25 Permits and identification cards.

103.25(1) (1) A minor under 16 years of age shall not be employed or permitted to work at any street trade unless the minor’s employer first obtains from the department or a permit officer a street trade permit and the minor first obtains an identification card, both issued in accordance with this section.

103.25(2) (2) If upon investigation, the department determines that there are practical difficulties or unnecessary hardships in carrying out sub. (1), the department may by general or special order make reasonable exceptions or modifications with due regard for the life, health, safety and welfare of minors employed in street trades. The investigation and orders shall be made as provided under s. 103.005. These orders are subject to review as provided in ch. 227.

103.25(3) (3) The form and requisites of street trade permits shall be the same as those specified for permits authorizing the employment of minors under s. 103.73, except as provided in sub. (3m) and except that the permits may be issued on special street trade permit forms, in a form determined by the department. Each minor for whom a street trade permit is issued shall be provided by the department or the permit officer issuing the permit with a street trade identification card, in a form determined by the department. The minor shall carry the identification card while engaged in street trade employment and may not transfer it to any other person.

103.25(3m) (3m) 

103.25(3m)(a) (a) In addition to the information required for a street trade permit under sub. (3), a street trade permit obtained by a house-to-house employer shall contain the minor’s permanent home address and social security number.

103.25(3m)(b) (b) A house-to-house employer shall have a copy of the street trade permit issued for the minor stamped or endorsed by the clerk of any municipality where the minor conducts a street trade from house to house.

103.25(3m)(c) (c) This subsection does not apply to employment of a minor by a newspaper publisher or in a fund-raising sale for a nonprofit organization, a public school, a private school, or a tribal school.

103.25(4) (4) In relation to employment in street trades a permit issued under this section has the same force and effect as a permit issued under ss. 103.64 to 103.82; and the failure to obtain a permit when required under this section subjects the employer to the same penalties and liabilities as failure to obtain a permit when required under ss. 103.64 to 103.82.

103.25(5) (5) This section does not apply to employment of a minor in a fund-raising sale for a nonprofit organization, a public school, a private school, or a tribal school.

103.25 History History: 1971 c. 228 s. 43; 1971 c. 271, 307; 1973 c. 183; 1985 a. 1; 1987 a. 187; 1989 a. 113; 1993 a. 492; 1995 a. 27; 2001 a. 107; 2009 a. 302; 2017 a. 11.

103.25 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. DWD 270 and ss. DWD 271.01, 271.06, and 271.07, Wis. adm. code.

103.26 103.26 Refusal or revocation of permits and identification cards.

103.26(1) (1) The department or permit officer may refuse to grant a street trade permit and identification card to a minor who seems physically unable to perform the work or whose school record indicates that the minor should not undertake such employment in addition to school, or whenever in the judgment of the department or permit officer the best interests of the minor would be served by such refusal.

103.26(2) (2) The department may revoke a street trade permit and identification card if the minor for whom such permit was issued is found by the department to have worked when prohibited under s. 103.24, if it appears to the department that such permit was improperly or illegally issued or if in their judgment the best interests of the minor would be served by such revocation. The department shall by registered mail notify such minor and the minor’s employer of such revocation. On receipt of such notice the employer shall immediately return the revoked permit and discontinue the employment of such minor, and the minor shall immediately return the revoked identification card to the permit officer.

103.26 History History: 1973 c. 183; 1993 a. 492.

103.26 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also s. DWD 271.08, Wis. adm. code.

103.27 103.27 Duties of employers of minors in street trades.

103.27(1) (1) Every employer of minors in street trades shall keep a record for each minor of his or her name, address and date of birth.

103.27(2) (2) Every employer shall receive and file a street trade permit authorizing employment of each minor under 16 years of age by the employer before the minor is permitted to work; and shall keep the permit on file and allow inspection of the permit at any time by the department or any police or school attendance officer.

103.27(3) (3) This section does not apply to employment of a minor in a fund-raising sale for a nonprofit organization, a public school, a private school, or a tribal school.