India

Franchises Of McDonald’s Are Fined For violating Laws Against Child Labour

Two 10-year-olds are among 300 children who worked at McDonald’s restaurants illegally, a Labor Department investigation of franchisees in Kentucky found.

Agency investigators found the 10-year-olds received little or no pay at a McDonald’s in Louisville, the Labor Department said. The franchisee for the Louisville store was among three McDonald’s franchisees fined USD 212,000 in total by the department.

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, the agency said. 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,” the Labor Department said Tuesday, adding that one child also was allowed to operate a deep fryer, which is prohibited task for workers under 16.

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.

“Any work’ was done at the direction of — and in the presence of — the parent without authorization by franchisee organization management or leadership,” Bauer said Wednesday in a prepared statement, adding that they’ve since reiterated the child visitation policy to employees.

Also, read: Sikh Restaurant Owner Faces Death Threats In UK Over Khalistan Post, Says, “Do We Have To Die For Police To Act?”

Federal child labour 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 labour abuses in the Southeast.

“Too often, employers fail to follow the child labour laws that protect young workers,” said division Director Karen Garnett-Civils. “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.”

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.

Archway Richwood didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment and Brdancat Management Inc., which Bell Restaurant Group is part of, declined comment.

“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.”

Shruti Chaturvedi

Recent Posts

Gopichand Hinduja Tops UK Rich List For Fourth Consecutive Year

Gopichand Hinduja and his family have retained the top position on the Sunday Times Rich…

48 mins ago

India Leverages Dual-Use Satellites For Strategic Defence Superiority

India is leveraging its dual-use satellite fleet to enhance defence capabilities, from surveillance to cyber…

60 mins ago

How ‘Operation Sindoor’ Showcased India’s Defence Self-Reliance

'Operation Sindoor' highlighted the success of India’s self-reliant defence strategy under the Make in India…

1 hour ago

King Charles’s Wealth Matches Sunak Couple As UK Billionaires Decline Sharply

King Charles’s wealth has increased by £30m, equalling that of Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty,…

2 hours ago

‘Operation Sindoor’ Continues: India Takes Strong Stand Against Pakistan Protest In Portugal

India issued a strong diplomatic response to a protest organised by Pakistan near its Embassy…

3 hours ago

Markets Open Flat Despite Positive Flows; IT Stocks Under Pressure

Indian markets opened flat on Monday amid mixed global cues and IT sector pressure, with…

4 hours ago