AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. Department of Labor announced Tuesday that McDonald's franchisees in Central Texas and Louisiana are guilty of child labor violations for 83 minors.
According to a news release from the Labor Department, 12 McDonald's restaurants in Louisiana were found to employ 72 14-and 15-year-old workers that worked longer and later than Louisiana law permits. Louisiana labor laws allow minors to work no more than three hours on a school day and no more than 8 hours on a non-school day. Three minor employees were found to also have operated manual deep fryers, an action prohibited for workers under 16.
Similar violations were found in four McDonald's locations in Texas. Franchises in Cedar Park, Georgetown and Leander employed 10 minors who worked longer and later than permitted; Texas has similar minor labor laws to Louisiana. The employers at the Texas locations also allowed seven children to perform tasks that are prohibited or considered hazardous for young workers. All seven were allowed to operate a manual deep fryer and oven, and two used a trash compactor.
These violations carried hefty fines for the two companies that operate the 16 total locations, CLB Investments LLC in Louisiana and Marwen & Son LLC in Texas. The Louisiana locations were fined $56,106 in civil penalties, while the Texas locations were fined $21,466 in civil money penalties.
The Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division was in charge of investigating the claims. It's now warning businesses to put their minor workers health and safety first.
“Employers must never jeopardize the safety and well-being of young workers or interfere with their education,” said Wage and Hour Division Regional Administrator Betty Campbell in Dallas. “While learning new skills in the workforce is an important part of growing up, an employer’s first obligation is to make sure minor-aged children are protected from potential workplace hazards.”
In the 2022 fiscal year, the Wage and Hour Division found child labor violations involving 3,876 children nationwide, an increase of more than 60% since 2018.
If you need information or help, the Wage and Hour Division has a confidential compliance assistance for employees and employers. You can call the free helpline at 866-487-9243.