The US Department of Labor said Tuesday that two 10-year-old children were found working at a Louisville McDonald’s restaurant — sometimes until 2 a.m. during an investigation into the child labor law violations in the Southeast.
The agency also found three franchisees that own more than 60 McDonald’s locations in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, and Ohio “employed 305 children to work more than the legally permitted hours and perform tasks prohibited by law for young workers,” CNN reported, citing a statement from the Labor Department.
According to the release, “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. Investigators also determined two 10-year-old children were employed – but not paid – and sometimes worked as late as 2 a.m.”
“These reports are unacceptable, deeply troubling and run afoul of the high expectations we have for the entire McDonald’s brand,” Tiffanie Boyd, senior vice president and chief people officer at McDonald’s USA, told CNN. “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.”
The three franchisees face a combined $212,754 in civil money penalties for the child labor violations, the release said, according to CNN.
“Too often, employers fail to follow the child labor laws that protect young workers,” said Karen Garnett-Civils, the agency’s wage and hour division district director, in a statement. “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.”
