10-year-olds found working drive-thru at Louisville McDonald’s
Two 10-year-old's were found working the drive-thru window and even operating a deep fryer, according to the Department of Labor.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS) — Three Louisville McDonald’s locations are being fined nearly $40,000 for violating child labor laws.
The Department of Labor (DOL) confirmed with WHAS11 News that one location was the McDonald’s on Taylor Boulevard. This location is the same McDonald’s where kids were recorded behind the counter in August 2022.
At the time, a McDonald’s spokesperson said that the minors shown in the video weren’t employees of the restaurant. The company said they were children of some of their employees.
The DOL also confirmed with WHAS11 News that investigators found a pair of 10-year-old’s working at the Taylor Boulevard McDonald’s, operated by Bauer Food LLC.
The two young children would reportedly work the drive-thru window and operate a deep fryer, a prohibited task for employees under 16 years old.
It’s unclear which other two locations were fined, but the Department of Labor report says the three Louisville locations were among dozens of McDonald’s restaurants fined throughout this multi-state investigation.
“Too often, employers fail to follow the child labor laws that protect young workers,” Wage and Hour Division District Director Karen Garnett-Civils in Louisville said. “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.”
This was a part of a larger investigation into three separate franchisees that operating 62 McDonald’s restaurants across Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland and Ohio.
These companies had 305 of employees under 16-years-old working too many hours, according to the report.
The violations have resulted in more than $200,000 in fines.
