McDonald’s Franchisees Fined $200,000 for Illegally Employing 305 Minors, Including 10-Year-Olds

The U.S. Labor Department fined three McDonald’s franchisees operating 62 restaurants across Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, and Ohio $200,000 for employing 305 minors, including two 10-year-olds who were unpaid.

The 305 children worked more than the legally permitted hours and performed tasks illegal for young workers. Of the 62 restaurants, 45 were in Kentucky.

Tiffanie Boyd, senior vice president and chief people officer at McDonald’s USA, described the reports are unacceptable, deeply troubling, and run afoul of the high expectations they have for the entire McDonald’s brand,

The two 10-year-olds working unpaid as late as 2 a.m. were at a McDonald’s location in Louisville, Kentucky, operated by Louisville-based Bauer Food LLC, who claimed that they were children of a night manager visiting their parent at work.

Bauer Food added that they were not approved by management to be in that part of the restaurant and that they have taken steps to make clear to employees all policies regarding children visiting a parent or guardian at work.

That franchisee was also found to be employing 24 children under 16 to work more than legally permitted hours, according to investigators, amounting to $39,711 in penalties. These hours are restricted by law to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except between June 1 and Labor Day, when they extend to 9 p.m.

Walton, Kentucky-based Archways Richwood LLC, was found to have allowed 242 children aged 14 and 15 to work more than the allowable hours. According to the Labor Department, children were found to work more than three hours on school days and earlier or later in the day than the law allows, amounting to an estimated $143,566 in penalties.

Bell Restaurant Group I LLC, also in Louisville, was discovered to have permitted 39 workers who were 14 and 15 years old to work above their permitted hours, resulting in anticipated fines of $29,267, according to the state.