McDonald’s restaurants fined for exploitation of child labor

Three Mcdonald’s restaurant operators have been fined in the United States following an investigation that found more than 300 minors, including 10-year-old children, worked at the restaurants illegally.

The investigation into Bauer Food LLC, Archways Richwood LLC and Bell Restaurant Group I LLC – three separate franchisees that operate a total of 62 McDonald’s restaurants in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland and Ohio – and found that they hired 305 children to work more than the law allows and performed work prohibited for young employees. In all, the investigations resulted in $212,754,000 in civil penalties to employers.

The investigation found that 10-year-old children were among those involved in the work.

Investigators also found that two 10-year-olds worked but were not paid and sometimes worked until 2 a.m. Being younger than the minimum age for employment, they prepared and delivered orders, cleaned the pantry, worked the order counter and used the cash register. The unit also learned that one of the two children was allowed to operate a deep fryer, which is prohibited for workers under 16.

A spokesman for Bauer Food LLC, the operator fined for employing 10-year-old children, told CBS News that company managers were unaware of the underage violations.

“The children were visiting their parents, who work as night managers. Company management did not allow children in that part of the restaurant, and any work the children did was done at the direction of and in the presence of a parent,” CBS News reported.

Federal child labor regulations limit the types of work that can be done by underage employees and the hours they can work. Restrictions for 14- and 15-year-old employees include working only after-hours, no more than three hours per school day. The work day must begin no earlier than 7 a.m. and end no later than 7 p.m.

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