researchers of the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division Two 10-year-old boys were found working at a Louisville McDonald's, among many violations of federal labor laws committed by three McDonald's franchise operators in Kentucky.
Investigations seeking to stop child labor abuses in the Southeast region found that Bauer Food LLC, Archways Richwood LLC and Bell Restaurant Group I LLC — three separate franchisees operating a total of 62 McDonald's locations in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland and Ohio — had 305 minors working more than the legally permitted hours and performing tasks prohibited by law for young workers.
In response, the regulatory authority assessed civil monetary fines of $212,544 against employers.
“Too often, employers fail to follow child labor laws that protect young workers,” said Karen Garnett-Civils, district director of the Wage and Hour Division in Louisville, Kentucky.
"Under no circumstances should a 10-year-old child be working in a fast-food kitchen around hot grills, ovens and fryers," he stressed.
According to a statement released by the Department of Labor, the division found that Bauer Food LLC, a Louisville-based operator of 10 McDonald's locations, employed 24 minors under the age of 16 to work longer hours than legally permitted.
These children sometimes worked more hours per day or week than the law allows, whether or not school was in session.
Investigators also determined that two 10-year-old boys were employed but not paid, and sometimes worked as late as 2 a.m., below the minimum age for employment, preparing and distributing food orders, cleaning the store, working the window and operating a register.
The division also learned that one of the two children was allowed to operate a deep fryer, a task prohibited for workers under the age of 16. The division assessed $39,711 in civil monetary penalties to address the child labor violations.
In the case of Archways Richwood LLC, a Walton-based operator of 27 McDonald's locations, it allowed 242 minors between the ages of 14 and 15 to work beyond permitted hours. Most worked earlier or later than the law allows and more than three hours on school days. The division assessed the employer $143,566 in civil monetary penalties for its violations.
While at Bell Restaurant Group I LLC, a Louisville-based operator of four McDonald's locations and part of Brdancat Management Inc., a larger company that includes Jesse Bell I, Jesse Bell V and Bell Restaurant Group II, which operates 20 other locations in Maryland, Indiana and Kentucky, the employer was found to have allowed 39 workers, ages 14 and 15, to work outside and for longer hours than allowed by law.
Some of these children worked more than the daily and weekly limits during school days and weeks, and the employer allowed two of them to work during school hours.
To address the child labor violations, the division assessed the employer $29,267 in civil monetary penalties. Investigators also found that the employer systematically failed to pay workers overtime wages they were owed, and as a result, the division recovered $14,730 in back wages and liquidated damages for 58 workers.
Federal child labor regulations limit the types of jobs child employees can perform and the hours they can work.
Hour limits for 14- and 15-year-olds include that work must be performed outside of school hours, must not be more than 3 hours on a school day, including Fridays, and must not be more than 8 hours on a non-school day.
Also, no more than 18 hours during a school week and no more than 40 hours during a non-school week, no work before 7:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m., except between June 1 and Labor Day, when evening hours are extended to 9:00 p.m.
"We are seeing an increase in federal child labor violations, including allowing minors to operate equipment or handle types of work that endanger them or employing them for longer hours or later in the day than federal law allows," Garnett-Civils said.
“An employer who hires young workers should be aware of the rules. An employer, parent or young worker who has questions can contact us so we can help them understand their obligations and rights under the law,” she added.
While most child labor violation cases involve minors working longer and later hours than the law allows, the division found 688 minors illegally employed in hazardous occupations in fiscal year 2022, the highest annual count since fiscal year 2011.
Among them was a 15-year-old boy, injured while using a deep fryer at a McDonald's in Morristown, Tennessee in June 2022.
“One child injured at work is one too many. Child labor laws exist to ensure that when young people work, the work does not jeopardize their health, well-being or education,” Garnett-Civils concluded.
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