McDonald's Franchises In Kentucky Fined For Child Labor Violation

Two 10-year-olds are among 300 children who worked at McDonald’s restaurants illegally, a Labor Department investigation of franchisees in Kentucky found, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Photo Insert: Three McDonald’s franchisees were fined $212,000 in total by the department.

Investigators found the 10-year-olds received little or no pay at a McDonald’s in Louisville, the department said. The Louisville franchisee was among three McDonald’s franchisees fined $212,000 in total by the department.

Louisville’s Bauer Food LLC, which operates 10 McDonald’s locations, employed 24 minors under the age of 16 to work more hours than legally permitted. Among those were two 10-year-old children.

The agency said the children sometimes worked as late as 2 a.m. but were not paid.

“Below the minimum age for employment, they prepared and distributed food orders, cleaned the store, worked at the drive-thru window and operated a register,” the Labor Department said Tuesday, adding that one child also was allowed to operate a deep fryer, a prohibited task for workers under 16.

Franchise owner-operator Sean Bauer said the two 10-year-olds cited in the report were visiting their parent, a night manager and weren’t employees.

“Any ‘work’ was done at the direction of — and in the presence of — the parent without authorization by franchisee organization management or leadership,” Bauer said Wednesday.

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