In recent shocking revelations, it has come to light that more than 300 children, some as young as 10 years old, have been found working at McDonald’s restaurants across Kentucky and various other locations. This alarming discovery has raised serious concerns about child labour practices within the fast-food giant’s supply chain and has sparked widespread outrage and calls for immediate action.
According to a news release from the department, in one instance, detectives discovered that two 10-year-olds were working unpaid shifts at a Louisville McDonald’s restaurant run by Bauer Food LLC, which is headquartered in Louisville, until as late as two in the morning.
Investigators discovered that the two kids ran a register, worked at the drive-thru window, cleaned the business, and prepared and delivered food orders. Additionally, one of them was permitted to operate a deep fryer, a job that federal law forbids anyone under the age of sixteen from performing.
Based on statistics given by the agency, 45 out of the 62 restaurants were located in Kentucky.
As per the Labor Department, at least 305 children were found to have worked in 62 McDonald’s restaurants in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, and Ohio in violation of federal labour laws. These locations were run by three franchisees: Bauer Food LLC, Archways Richwood LLC, and Bell Restaurant Group I LLC.
According to Bauer Food LLC, the two 10-year-olds purportedly working at the McDonald’s were the offspring of a night manager who was paying a visit to their parents at work. The franchisee organisation management had not permitted them to be in that area of the business.
McDonald’s responds to child labour concerns with policy clarifications and commitment to safe workplaces
The franchisee said that it had now taken action to make sure that all staff members were aware of the rules about youngsters visiting a parent or guardian at work.
Tiffanie Boyd, senior vice president and chief people officer of McDonald’s USA, stated in a statement that “these reports are unacceptable, deeply troubling, and run afoul of the high expectations we have for the entire McDonald’s brand.” “It is not lost on us the significant responsibility we carry to ensure a positive and safe experience for everyone under the Arches.”
“I am aware of how crucial it is for every restaurant to promote a safe culture. “I feel this on a very personal level as a mother whose teenage son worked proudly at our local McDonald’s,” she continued. “We are committed to ensuring our franchisees have the resources they need to foster safe workplaces for all employees and maintain compliance with all labour laws.”
When NBC News asked Archways Richwood LLC for comment early on Wednesday, the company did not immediately reply. A request for comment was not immediately answered by the owner of Bell Restaurant Group I LLC’s LinkedIn account.
Karen Garnett-Civils, the district director of the Wage and Hour Division in Louisville, stated that “employers fail to follow the child labour laws that protect young workers far too often.” “A 10-year-old child working in a fast-food kitchen near hot grills, ovens, and deep fryers should never occur.”
An estimated total of more than $212,000 in civil money penalties is owed to the employers.
Labour department reveals child labour violations in McDonald’s franchisees: Fines expected for hours and hazardous work infractions
It was discovered that 242 youngsters between the ages of 14 and 15 were permitted to work longer hours than what was allowed by Walton-based Archways Richwood LLC. According to the Labor Department, the majority worked more than three hours on school days and earlier or later in the day than the law permitted. For the infractions, the employer was anticipated to pay a civil money penalty of about $143,566.
According to the state, 39 kids between the ages of 14 and 15 were permitted by Louisville-based Bell Restaurant Group I LLC to labour past the permitted hours. According to the government, the company was anticipated to pay civil money penalties of approximately $29,267.
According to the government, Bauer Food LLC hired 24 minors who were under 16 to work longer hours than what was allowed by law. Penalties for the employer were projected to total around $39,711 in fines.
In the words of Garnett-Civils, the most recent occurrences coincided with an “increase in federal child labour 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.”
The majority of child labour infractions involve children working later and longer hours than permitted by law; however, in fiscal year 2022, the Labor Department discovered at least 688 kids working in hazardous jobs without authorisation, which is the greatest number of such incidents since fiscal year 2011.
Among them was a 15-year-old who suffered injuries in June 2022 while operating a deep fryer at a McDonald’s in Morristown, Tennessee, the report stated.
“It is too many to have one child hurt at work.” Child labour rules are in place to make sure that young people’s employment does not endanger their health, welfare, or education, according to Garnett-Civils.
(Tashia Bernardus)