Fed fines McDonald’s franchisees for hiring children

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — Two 10-year-olds were among the 300 children who worked illegally at McDonald’s restaurants, according to a Labor Department investigation of Kentucky franchisees.

Authorities investigators found 10-year-olds received little or no pay at McDonald’s in Louisville, the Department of Labor said. was one of three McDonald’s franchisees sentenced to

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

“They were under the minimum employment age, but they prepared and delivered food orders, cleaned stores, worked at drive-thru windows and operated registers,” the Department of Labor said on Tuesday, adding one child. was also allowed to operate the deep fryer, a task prohibited for workers under the age of 16.

Shawn Bauer, the franchise owner-operator, said the two 10-year-olds mentioned in the Labor Department statement were visiting their parents, the night shift manager, and were not employees.

“All the ‘work’ was done at the direction of and in the presence of a parent, without permission from the manager or leadership of the franchisee organization,” Bauer said in a prepared statement Wednesday, and has since , added that it reiterates its child visitation policy.

Federal child labor regulations severely limit the types of work children can do and the hours they can work.

The Kentucky investigation is part of an ongoing effort by the Department of Labor’s Wages and Hours Division to stop child labor abuses in the Southeast.

“Too often, employers don’t follow child labor laws that protect young workers,” department head Karen Garnett-Sibills said. “A 10-year-old shouldn’t be working in a fast food kitchen around hot grills, ovens and fryers.”

In addition, Walton-based Archways Richwood LLC and Louisville-based Bell Restaurant Group I LLC have allowed minors aged 14 and 15 to work beyond the allowable hours, the agency said. Archway Richwood did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Brdancat Management Inc., which owns Bell Restaurant Group, declined to comment.

“These reports are unacceptable, highly disturbing, and contrary to our high expectations of the McDonald’s brand as a whole,” said McDonald’s USA spokeswoman Tiffany Boyd. We are committed to promoting a safe workplace for all employees and ensuring that we have the resources necessary to maintain compliance with all labor laws.”