- A McDonald’s store in Pennsylvania employed more than 150 teenagers during hours prohibited by federal law.
- A child under the age of 16 was operating the fryer, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
- The location owner paid a fine of over $92,000.
The U.S. Department of Labor announced Wednesday that children under the age of 16 were operating fryers and working hours prohibited by federal law at more than six McDonald’s locations in Pennsylvania.
Investigators said 154 minors were employed at seven restaurants across the state during hours when they should have stayed home and focused on their studies. In five of them he was found working illegally with more than 23 minors.
“Since 2018, there has been an alarming increase in the number of young workers being hired in violation of federal child labor laws,” John Dumont of the Department’s Wages and Hours Division said in a statement.2022 More than 3,800 children were found to have been employed in violation of federal law. In 2012, that number was just over 1,600.
In particular, McDonald’s locations in Erie and Warren employed children not only before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m. during the school year, but in some cases more than 18 hours a week. Some were asked to work more than eight hours a day on days they weren’t in school, while others were asked to work after 9 p.m., which is prohibited by federal law during the summer. It was also found that nine children operated the fryer before she turned 16, the legal minimum age.
Franchise owner Thomas DuCharme Jr. paid $92,107 in civil penalties as a result of the federal investigation, according to the agency.
“Every employer that hires young workers must know when they can and cannot work, what kinds of work they can do, and what jobs they can be safely assigned.” There is no excuse to jeopardize the safety of young workers or hinder their educational opportunities.”
A McDonald’s spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
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