researchers of the US 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 that operate a total of 62 McDonald's locations in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland and Ohio , they had 305 minors working more than the legally permitted hours, and performing tasks prohibited by law for young workers.
Given this, the regulatory authority assessed $212,544 in monetary civil fines against employers.
“Too often, employers don't follow child labor laws that protect young workers,” explained Karen Garnett-Civils, district director for 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 issued 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 more hours than legally allowed.
These children sometimes worked more hours a day or week than the law allows, whether or not school is in session.
Investigators also determined that two 10-year-old boys were employed, but not paid, sometimes working until 2 a.m., below the minimum working age, preparing and delivering food orders, cleaning the store, working in the window and operated a register.
The division also learned that one of the two boys was allowed to operate a deep fryer, a task prohibited for workers under the age of 16. The division assessed at $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 ages 14 to 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 money 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 business that includes Jesse Bell I, Jesse Bell V and Bell Restaurant Group II, which operates At 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 more hours than the law allows.
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 at $29,267 in civil money penalties. Investigators also found that the employer consistently failed to pay workers the overtime wages they were owed, and as a result, the division recovered $14,730 in back wages and settled damages for 58 workers.
Federal child labor regulations limit the types of jobs child employees can perform and the hours they can work.
The hour limits for 14- and 15-year-olds include that the work must be done outside of school hours, which must be no more than 3 hours on a school day, including Fridays, and no more than 8 hours on a non-school day. school.
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 the Day from Work, when the afternoon schedule is extended until 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 employ them for longer hours or later in the day than the law allows. federal," Garnett-Civils said.
“An employer who hires young workers must know the rules. An employer, parent or young worker with questions can contact us so we can help them understand their obligations and rights under the law."
While most cases of child labor violations involve minors working longer and later than the law allows, the division found 688 minors illegally employed in hazardous occupations in fiscal year 2022, the highest annual count since the fiscal year 2011.
Among them was a 15-year-old boy who was injured while using a deep fryer at a McDonald's in Morristown, Tennessee in June 2022.
“One child injured at work is too many. Child labor laws exist to ensure that when young people work, the work does not endanger their health, well-being, or education," Garnett-Civils concluded.
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