McDonald's franchises fined USD 212,000 for child labor violations in the US
2 min read . Updated: 04 May 2023, 05:15 AM IST
PremiumThe Kentucky investigations are part of an ongoing effort by the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division to stop child labor abuses in the Southeast.
Two 10-year-olds are among 300 children who worked at McDonald's restaurants illegally, a Labor Department investigation of franchises in Kentucky found. The investigators said the 10-year-olds received little or no pay at a McDonald's in Louisville.
The franchisee for the Louisville store was among three McDonald's franchisees fined USD 212,000 in total by the department, according to a report published by The Associated Press.
The agency stated that Louisville's Bauer Food LLC, which operates 10 McDonald's locations, employed 24 minors under the age of 16 to work more hours than legally permitted. Among those were two 10-year-old children. The agency said the children sometimes worked as late as 2 am but were not paid.
“Below the minimum age for employment, they prepared and distributed food orders, cleaned the store, worked at the drive-thru window, and operated a register. One child also was allowed to operate a deep fryer, which is a prohibited task for workers under 16," the labor department said.
Franchise owner-operator Sean Bauer said the two 10-year-olds cited in the Labor Department's statement were visiting their parent, a night manager, and weren't employees, AP reported.
Bauer said that any work was done at the direction of and in the presence of the parent without authorization by franchisee organization management or leadership.
Federal child labor regulations put strict limits on the types of jobs children can perform and the hours they can work. The Kentucky investigations are part of an ongoing effort by the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division to stop child labor abuses in the Southeast.
Division Director Karen Garnett-Civils said employers too often fail to follow the child labor laws that protect young workers and under no circumstances should there ever be a 10-year-old child working in a fast-food kitchen around hot grills, ovens, and deep fryers, as per AP reports.
In addition, Walton-based Archways Richwood LLC and Louisville-based Bell Restaurant Group I LLC allowed minors ages 14 and 15 to work beyond allowable hours, the department said.
"These reports are unacceptable, deeply troubling and run afoul of the high expectations we have for the entire McDonald's brand," McDonald's USA spokeswoman Tiffanie Boyd said.
“We are committed to ensuring our franchisees have the resources they need to foster safe workplaces for all employees and maintain compliance with all labour laws," she added.
(With AP inputs)