McDonald’s franchises in Kentucky forced 10-year-olds to work without pay

The US government slapped three McDonald’s franchises in Kentucky with more than $200,000 in fines after an investigation found they employed minors, including a 10-year-old who was illegally made to work until 2 a.m. and who was allowed to operate a deep fryer — all without getting paid.

A franchise in Louisville employed two 10-year-old workers who were among some two dozen minors under the age of 16 to work across 10 McDonald’s locations owned by Louisville-based Bauer Food LLC, it was alleged.

The minors were tasked with preparing and distributing food orders, cleaning the store, manning the drive-thru windows, operating a register, and manning the deep fryer, which is only permitted for employees over the age of 16, according to a statement by the US Department of Labor.

“Investigators also determined two 10-year-old children were employed – but not paid – and sometimes worked as late as 2 a.m.,” according to the feds.

Bauer Food LLC was forced to pay $39,711 in fines that were levied by the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division.

“These reports are unacceptable, deeply troubling and run afoul of the high expectations we have for the entire McDonald’s brand,” said Tiffanie Boyd, Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer, McDonald’s USA. “We are committed to ensuring our franchisees have the resources they need to foster safe workplaces for all employees and maintain compliance with all labor laws.”

In a statement, Bauer Food LLC said the two 10-year-olds allegedly employed were children of a night manager who were visiting their parent at work and were not approved by franchisee organization management to be in that part of the restaurant.

“Any ‘work’ was done at the direction of — and in the presence of — the parent without authorization by franchisee organization management or leadership,” Bauer Food said in a statement. “We have since taken steps to ensure our policy regarding children visiting a parent/guardian at work is clear to all employees.”

The Department of Labor also alleged that another Kentucky-based company which operates 27 locations in and around Walton, Ky. employed 242 minors between the ages of 14 and 15.

The federal government alleged that the minors were “allowed to work beyond the allowable hours.”

The company, which was not immediately available for comment, was forced to pay $143,566 in fines, according to the federal government.

A third LLC — Bell Restaurant Group, a Louisville-based subsidiary of a group that owns and operates nearly two dozen locations throughout Maryland, Indiana, and Kentucky — is alleged to have employed 39 workers between the ages of 14 and 15 beyond the legal allotment of hours.

“Some of these children worked more than the daily and weekly limits during school days and school weeks, and the employer allowed two of them to work during school hours,” the Department of Labor alleged.

The LLC was fined $29,267 in civil penalties for child labor law violations as well as $14,730 in back wages that were owed to workers who clocked overtime, according to the Department of Labor.

The Post has sought comment from McDonald’s.

The Chicago-based fast food giant numbers some 14,000 restaurants across the country.

Franchisees pay the company a fee for the right to operate an officially licensed restaurant.

The owners of the location are also required to lease the properties which are owned by the parent company — often at a significant markup.

McDonald’s profit is largely driven by the rent and royalty income it receives from franchisees.

In December, the Department of Labor accused McDonald’s franchise owners in Pennsylvania of child labor violations that include employing 14- and 15-year-olds to work longer hours than is legally permitted as well as allowing them to illegally operate heavy machinery and equipment.

The franchise owners were made to pay a civil penalty of $57,332.

In September 2021, the operators of a McDonald’s location in Oregon solicited job applications from 14- and 15-year-olds to help alleviate a worker shortage.

Oregon state law permits anyone over the age of 14 to work so long as the job does not require them to be available during school hours.

Fourteen-year-olds in Oregon are also limited to working no more than three hours per day on a school day, as per state law.