Laws against child labor prohibit the employment of minors under 14 years old. The U.S. Department of Labor found two 10-year-old children working at a McDonald’s unit in the state of Kentucky.
In a statement released a few days ago, the agency stated that three companies responsible for fast-food franchise operations in the region were caught violating child labor laws.
At a Bauer Food LLC establishment, 24 individuals under 16 years old were found working beyond the allowed limits, even during school hours. Additionally, two 10-year-old children were employed by the company but were not receiving wages, working shifts that extended until 2 in the morning.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, they were involved in preparing and distributing orders, cleaning the unit, and taking orders in the drive-thru, operating the cash register, even though they were below the minimum age for such tasks.
Bauer Food LLC received a fine of $39,000 for violating child labor laws. In total, the fines imposed in this action amount to over $150,000.
According to the U.S. government, child labor laws have some variations, but in general, the minimum age for employment is 14 years, and companies hiring individuals aged 14 to 15 must adhere to certain rules, such as:
- Young workers must work outside of school hours.
- They cannot work more than 3 hours on school days and more than 8 hours on non-school days.
- They cannot work more than 18 hours in a week with school and 40 hours in a week without school obligations.
- They cannot work before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m., except between June 1 and September 4, when the limit extends until 9 p.m.
