Louisville McDonald’s owners fined after minors, including 10-year-olds, found working illegally
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - The U.S. Department of Labor is fining two Louisville-based McDonald’s franchisees more than $60,000 after it found a number of minors working an illegal number of hours, with one franchisee hiring two 10-year-olds to work as late as 2 a.m.
The report released on May 2 claimed three Kentucky McDonald’s franchisees were found with multiple violations of federal labor laws.
The three separate franchisees, Bauer Food LLC out of Louisville, Archways Richwood LLC out of Walton and Bell Restaurant Group I LLC out of Louisville had employed a total of 305 children working more than the legally permitted hours.
The franchisees were also found having minors perform tasks prohibited by law for young workers, the U.S. Department of Labor confirmed.
Louisville-based Bauer Food LLC, owner of 10 McDonald’s locations, employed 24 minors under the age of 16 to work more than legally permitted hours set by the Wage and Hour Division.
The franchisee had employed two 10-year-old children at one location who worked unpaid and sometimes worked as late as 2 a.m. The children were found preparing and distributing food orders, cleaning the store, working the drive-thru window and operating the register.
The U.S. Department of Labor said one of the two 10-year-olds was also allowed to operate the deep fryer, which is a prohibited task for workers under 16 years old.
“Too often, employers fail to follow the child labor laws that protect young workers,” Wage and Hour Division District Director Karen Garnett-Civils in Louisville, Kentucky said. “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.”
Bauer Food LLC was fined $39,711 in penalties to address the child labor violations.
An owner and operator of the McDonald’s restaurant in question reached back to WAVE News to clarify the incident involving 10-year-olds seen working within the restaurant.
His statement said the children were a night manager’s and that they were visiting a parent, which was not approved by the franchisee organization to be in that area of the restaurant.
“Any ‘work’ was done at the direction of, and in the presence of, the parent without authorization by franchisee organization management or leadership,” his statement continues.
The restaurant said it has taken steps to ensure the restaurant’s policy involving children visiting a parent or guardian is clear to all employees.
The other Louisville-based franchisee, Bell Restaurant Group I LLC, owns four McDonald’s locations and is part of a larger enterprise operating an additional 20 locations in Maryland, Indiana and Kentucky.
This franchisee had hired 39 workers between the ages of 14 and 15 and had them work outside of permitted hours and for more hours than the law permits.
The release states children had worked more than the daily and weekly limits during school days and school weeks, and the employer allowed two children to work during school hours.
In addition, the employer was also found not paying workers the overtime wages they were due.
Bell Restaurant Group I LLC was fined $29,267 for child labor penalties and $14,730 for back wages and liquidated damages for 58 workers.
The Walton-based operator, Archways Richwood LLC, had allowed 242 minors between ages 14 and 15 to work beyond permitted hours, and was fined $143,566 for child labor violations.
“We are seeing an increase in federal child labor violations, including allowing minors to operate equipment or handle types of work that endangers them or employs them for more hours or later in the day than federal law allows,” Garnett-Civils said in a release. “An employer who hires young workers must know the rules. An employer, parent or young worker with questions can contact us for help understanding their obligations and rights under the law.”
The U.S. Department of Labor said in 2022, it had found a total of 688 minors employed illegally in hazardous occupations, including a 15-year-old who was injured using a deep fryer at a McDonald’s in Morristown, Tennessee in June 2022.
“One child injured at work is one too many. Child labor laws exist to ensure that when young people work, the job does not jeopardize their health, well-being or education,” Garnett-Civils said.
The Wage and Hour Division has created tools and resources to help employers with questions on how to comply with the law by calling (866) 4US-WAGE (487-9243).
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