McDonald's is one of the largest fast-food chains in the world with thousands of franchisees all over the globe. One of the most popular demographics that the company serves, is children, with McDonald's Happy Meal being an important part of childhood nostalgia for many millennial adults.
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However, in some truly shocking news, it turns out that the company might not be as kid-friendly as portrayed. As reported by a news release by US Department of Labour, 3 McDonald's branches have been found guilty of employing more than 300 minors including 10-year-olds to work in the restaurants.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that McDonald's in trouble for violating child labour laws. Earlier, a husband and wife co-owners of McDonald's franchises in Pittsburg, USA, were found to have violated child labour laws and fined $57,332 for the crime.
Here's all you should know about the latest case below:
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Legal actions taken against 3 McDonald's franchisees
In some stunning findings, 3 McDonald's franchisees operating 62 McDonald’s locations across Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland and Ohio were found guilty of violating federal child labour laws, as per a statement published by US Department of Labour earlier this month.
As per the government report, the franchisees involved are: Bauer Food LLC, Archways Richwood LLC and Bell Restaurant Group I LLC. These operated separately from each other. The investigation found that collectively these 3 companies employed 305 children, which also included two 10-year-olds.
As per the report, these companies, 'employed 305 children to work more than the legally permitted hours and perform tasks prohibited by law for young worker.'
Wage and Hour Division District Director Karen Garnett-Civils in Louisville, Kentucky explained,
Too often, employers fail to follow the child labor laws that protect young workers.
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.
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McDonald's branches fined for employing children
The report also informed that these franchisees have been fined $212,544 in civil money penalties.
A dive into the report by Department of Labour gives a sordid account of multiple workplace violations on the part of these companies, including non-payment of dues, non-payment for over-time work, letting minors operate dangerous machineries like deep fryer, and even forcing minors to work as late as 2 A.M. in the morning, in some instances.
CNBC quotedTiffanie Boyd, senior vice president and chief people officer at McDonald’s USA, who responded to the incident saying,
These reports are unacceptable, deeply troubling and run afoul of the high expectations we have for the entire McDonald’s brand.
It is not lost on us the significant responsibility we carry to ensure a positive and safe experience for everyone under the Arches.
Sources used:
US Department of Labour: 'News Release'
CNBC: 'McDonald’s franchisees fined after 305 minors, including 10-year-olds, found working illegally'
