Everyone remembers their high-school days when it was a weekly occurrence to beg our parents for a few dollars so we could go to the local mall, get fast food, and hang out with friends.
Some may also resonate with turning the legal working age and being able to get their first job. Although not the dream job, nothing felt better than earning a paycheck that made us feel like rich teens at the time.
šµš° Don’t miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet’s free daily newsletter šµš°
Many companies that hire teenagers are fast-food and restaurant chains or retailers. These businesses tend to franchise to expand their footprint faster, which allows them to better establish their brand and customer base across more markets.
A franchisee is a business owner who invests in purchasing the rights to open and operate another company’s business, profiting from its established branding.
Although this strategy can be very lucrative, it also has many disadvantages.
Related: McDonaldās teases return of item fans have long clamored for
Because so many different franchise owners manage the brand, franchisers become responsible for daily operations. If quality control is improperly handled, a wrong move can tarnish a company’s reputation forever.Ā
According to Massachusetts child labor law, workers between 14 and 18 years old cannot work past 8 p.m. without adult supervision andĀ cannot work for more than nine hours a day, six days per week, and 48 hours a week, whether or not school is in session.
Fast-food chains get fined for breaking child labor laws.
Image source: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
McDonald’s, Dunkin’, and Subway get fined for breaking child labor laws
The Attorney General’s Office filed citations against McDonald’sĀ (MCD) , Dunkin’ Donuts, and SubwayĀ franchise operators with over 80 locations in Massachusetts on April 15 for violating child labor laws.Ā
Related: This retailer steps up after Joann, Party City bankruptcies
These charges were made because the fast food franchisees Cafua Management Company, The Brewster Company, and Knight Food Service, Inc. failed to obtain the necessary permits to employ minors over the last five years. However, employees between 16 and 17 years of age were being booked to work past the state’s daily nine-hour limit.
“Our child labor laws exist to protect young workers and prioritize their safety and education as they learn new skills, earn income, and contribute to their communities,ā said AG Campbell in the filing. “My office will continue to enforce these laws to empower our youth and remind employers that Massachusetts is serious about protecting its workforce,” he added.
Details about the settlements for violating the Massachusetts Child Labor Law
Cafua, a Dunkin’ franchisee with over 80 locations across Massachusetts, was fined $140,000 for allowing underage employees to work past 8 p.m. without adult supervision or the necessary permits from February 2020 to February 2023.Ā
These locations include Stoneham, North Andover, Danvers, Westford, Chicopee, Billerica, Pittsfield, Fall River, Lawrence, Dracut, Methuen, Chelmsford, Lowell, Tyngsboro, Saugus, Charlestown, Medford, Millbury, Westborough, Worcester, Grafton, Burlington, Lee, Peabody, Salisbury, North Billerica, Somerville, and Great Barrington.
A $63,930 fine was issued against Brewster, a McDonald’s franchisee, for permitting minors to work during prohibited hours and booking their shifts longer than the maximum daily nine-hour shifts at eight of its Massachusetts franchise locations in Everett, Hanover, Woburn, Weymouth, Quincy, Norwell, Malden, and Revere between May 2021 and May 2024.
More Retail News:
Burger King menu adds insane new value dealStruggling children’s fashion closed stores, sales droppedAfter closing restaurants, burger chain adds all-you-can-eat deal
Subway franchisee Knight was fined $22,455 for exceeding the daily permitted nine-hour shift and for booking their shifts past 8 p.m. without an adult present from February 2023 to August 2024 at its Massachusetts locations, including one in Brockton.Ā
The Attorney General’s Office alleges that Knight also didn’t allow its underage employees to have meal breaks after working for more than six hours, as it failed to provide records.Ā
Wage and hour laws in Massachusetts require the record-keeping of employees’ hours worked and amounts paid.Ā
The fines combined from all three fast-food franchises amounted to a total of $226,385 against the employers.
Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast
