The U.S. Department of Labor released findings from an investigation into child labor practices at several McDonald’s restaurants on Tuesday.
The department discovered that at one Louisville location, two 10-year-old children were found to be working at the establishment, sometimes until 2 a.m., and not receiving payment for their work.
The investigation discovered several other child labor law violations by the owners of the restaurants, as the Labor Department continues to monitor working practices in the Southeast, a statement shared.
In a press release, the Labor Department shared that it found three franchisees who owned 62 McDonald’s locations in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, and Ohio.
The three franchisees, Bauer Food LLC, Archways Richwood, and Bell Restaurant Group, employed “305 children” under the age of 16 “to work more than the legally permitted hours and perform tasks prohibited by law for young workers,” the release said.
“Investigators from the department’s Wage and Hour Division found two 10-year-old workers at a Louisville McDonald’s restaurant among many violations of federal labor laws committed by three Kentucky McDonald’s franchise operators,” the release said. “Investigators also determined two 10-year-old children were employed – but not paid – and sometimes worked as late as 2 a.m.”
McDonald’s has spoken out on the findings from the Labor Department. Tiffanie Boyd, a senior vice president, and chief people officer at McDonald’s USA, shared a statement with CNN saying the findings were troubling.
“These reports are unacceptable, deeply troubling, and run afoul of the high expectations we have for the entire McDonald’s brand. […] We are committed to ensuring our franchisees have the resources they need to foster safe workplaces for all employees and maintain compliance with all labor laws,” Boyd said.
CNN also received a statement from Bauer Food LLC. In the statement, the franchisee confirmed that the two 10-year-olds allegedly employed at the McDonald’s were children of a night manager who were visiting their parent at work. The statement continued, saying they were never approved by the franchisee organization management to be employed at the restaurant.
Combined, the three franchisees are facing $212,754 in civil money penalties for the child labor violations.
“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,” Wage and Hour Division District Director Karen Garnett-Civils shared in the press release.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Related
Related
