Hey, gossip lovers! It’s Madison Lee, and I have some news that will leave you absolutely stunned. Recently, the US Department of Labor conducted an investigation into child labor law violations in the Southeast, and the results were shocking. Three franchisees that own over 60 McDonald’s locations in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, and Ohio were found to have employed 305 children in violation of federal labor laws.
But the most disturbing part? Two 10-year-old children were found to have been working at a Louisville McDonald’s restaurant, sometimes until as late as 2 a.m. Investigators also discovered that two other 10-year-old children were employed at the restaurant but were not paid.
Do the right thing McDonalds. This is child abuse! Strip these franchisees of their franchises, today!
Two 10-year-olds worked at McDonald’s without pay — sometimes until 2 am, feds say https://t.co/ej1UoT2FhE via @Yahoo— Family Vision Media (@FamVisionMedia) May 3, 2023
Tiffanie Boyd, senior vice president and chief people officer at McDonald’s USA, expressed her concern over the reports, calling them “unacceptable” and “deeply troubling.” Boyd also stated that McDonald’s is committed to ensuring that franchisees have the resources they need to foster safe workplaces for all employees and maintain compliance with all labor laws.
One of the franchisees, Bauer Foods LLC, admitted to CNN that 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. The other two franchises, Archways Richwood and Bell Restaurant Group have yet to comment on the matter.
“Too often, employers fail to follow the child labor laws that protect young workers,” said Karen Garnett-Civils, the agency’s wage and hour division district director, in a statement. “Under no circumstances should there ever be a 10-year-old child working in a fast-food kitchen around hot grills, ovens and deep fryers.”
