World News | McDonald’s franchise fined for child labor violations

LOUISVILLE, May 4 (AP) — A Labor Department investigation of a Kentucky franchisee found two 10-year-olds were among 300 children working illegally at McDonald’s restaurants.

The Labor Department said its investigators found that the 10-year-olds were paid little or nothing at a McDonald’s in Louisville. The Louisville franchisee was one of three McDonald’s franchisees fined a total of $212,000 by the department.

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Bauer Food LLC in Louisville, which operates 10 McDonald’s locations, employed 24 minors under the age of 16 who worked longer hours than legally allowed, the agency said. Among them were two 10-year-old children. The agency said the children sometimes worked until 2 a.m. but were not paid.

“Below the minimum age for employment, they prepare and distribute food orders, clean stores, work drive-thru windows and operate cash registers,” the Labor Department said Tuesday, adding that a child was also allowed to operate a deep fryer, which is Work prohibited for workers under the age of 16.

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Franchise owner-operator Sean Ball said the two 10-year-olds named in the Labor Department statement were visiting their parents, a night manager and not employees.

“No work was done without authorization from franchise organization management or leadership, under the direction and presence of parents,” Ball said in a prepared statement Wednesday. They added that they had reiterated their child visitation policy to staff.

Federal child labor laws place strict limits on the types of work children can do and for how long.

The Kentucky investigation is part of an ongoing effort by the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division to stop abusive child labor in the Southeast.

“Too often, employers do not comply with child labor laws that protect young workers,” said department director Karen Garnett-Civils. “Under no circumstances should there be a 10-year-old working in a fast food kitchen around hot grills, ovens and fryers.”

In addition, Walton-based Archways Richwood LLC and Louisville-based Bell Restaurant Group I LLC allow minors as young as 14 and 15 to work outside permitted hours, the department said. Archway Richwood did not immediately return a call seeking comment, while Brdancat Management Inc., which owns the Bell Restaurant Group, declined to comment.

“These reports are unacceptable, deeply disturbing and in conflict with our high expectations for the entire McDonald’s brand,” said McDonald’s U.S. spokeswoman Tiffany Boyd. “We are committed to making sure our franchisees have the resources they need to maintain a safe workplace for all employees and comply with all labor laws.” (Associated Press)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)