McDonald’s franchises fined for child labor violations

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

Agency investigators found that 10-year-olds received little or no pay at a McDonald’s in Louisville, the Labor Department said. The Louisville restaurant franchise owner was among three McDonald’s franchise owners fined $212,000 in total by the department.

Bauer Food LLC of Louisville, which operates 10 McDonald’s locations, employed 24 children under the age of 16 to work more hours than legally allowed, the agency said. Among them were two 10-year-old boys. The agency said the children sometimes worked until 2 a.m. but were not paid.

“Below the minimum age for employment, they prepared and distributed food orders, cleaned the restaurant, worked the drive-thru window and operated a cash register,” the Labor Department said Tuesday, adding that a child also he was allowed to operate a deep fryer, which is prohibited for workers under the age of 16.

The franchise’s owner and operator, Sean Bauer, said the two 10-year-old boys named in the Labor Department’s statement were visiting their parents, a night manager, and were not employees.

“Any ‘work’ was done at the direction and in the presence of the parents without the authorization of management or leadership of the franchised organization,” Bauer said Wednesday in a prepared statement, adding that they have since reiterated the policy of child visits to employees.

Federal child labor regulations place 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 Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division to stop child labor abuses in the Southeast.

“Too often, employers don’t follow child labor laws that protect young workers,” said division director Karen Garnett-Civils. “Under no circumstances should a 10-year-old child be 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 permitted hours, the department said. Archway Richwood did not immediately return a call seeking comment and Brdancat Management Inc., of which the Bell Restaurant Group is a part, declined to comment.

“These reports are unacceptable, deeply concerning and go against the high expectations we have for the entire McDonald’s brand,” McDonald’s USA spokeswoman Tiffanie Boyd said. “We are committed to ensuring that our franchisees have the resources they need to promote safe workplaces for all employees and maintain compliance with all employment laws.”

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