An investigation carried out by the U. S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division has disclosed extensive exploitation of under-aged workers.  The DuCharme organization paid $92,000 in civil penalties for violations.  A franchisee of seven McDonald’s locations in northern Ohio, DuCharme illegally required 154 minors 14-15 years of age to work extended hours and to operate equipment that is disallowed under the child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

From Fiscal 2018 through 2022, the Wage and Hour Division identified child labor violations in 4,000 cases involving 15,000 minor-aged workers.  John DuMont, Director of the Wage and Hour district for Pittsburgh, PA, stated, “Every employer who hires young workers must know when they can and cannot work, the types of jobs they can do and what tasks they can be safely assigned.”  He added, “The bottom line is that there is no excuse for jeopardizing young workers’ safety or hindering their educational opportunities.”

Working at a QSR is regarded as a rite of passage.  Employment while in secondary school provides a sense of responsibility and establishes a relationship between work and the value of money.  When employment extends to exploitation, the advantage of teenage work becomes socially undesirable and illegal. The question arises as to the responsibility of franchisers in ensuring that their franchisees comply with federal, state and local legislation. Brand image and corporate integrity can be degraded by the actions of individual restaurant operators.