A McDonald’s franchise that operates 12 restaurants in the New Orleans area was assessed more than $56,000 in civil penalties for alleged child labor law violations, the U.S. Department of Labor reported.
The federal agency announced the assessment on July 25 in conjunction with a federal probe of McDonald’s locations in Texas and Louisiana. The investigation discovered that CLB Investments LLC, which operates a dozen McDonald’s restaurants in Kenner, Jefferson, Metairie and New Orleans, employed 72 workers 14 to 15 years old who worked longer days than the law allows.
In addition, the restaurant operator allowed three children to operate manual deep fryers, according to the Department of Labor. The law requires operators of such devices to be at least 16 years old.
Similar violations were found at restaurants operated in Texas, the agency reported.
“We take this issue seriously and are committed to ensuring our franchisees have the resources they need to maintain compliance with all U.S. labor laws,” Tiffanie Boyd, McDonald’s Corp.’s chief people officer, said in a statement emailed to the Louisiana Record.
Such incidents do not reflect the high employment standards that are put in place for each McDonald’s location, according to Boyd.
“We’re more focused than ever on building a people-first culture that offers a safe work environment for all employees, whether it’s your first job or you're building a career at McDonald's,” she said.
McDonald’s also pointed to commitments by franchisees such as Chris Bardell to ensure workers are protected.
“As a local business owner in New Orleans for 22 years, I'm deeply committed to the safety of my people,” Bardell said. “Since learning of these violations, I've introduced mandatory child labor law trainings for my restaurant managers and conducted regular audits to ensure we're in compliance with labor regulations.”
The violations reported last month come on the heels of a federal probe in May that concluded three McDonald’s franchisees operating restaurant locations in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland and Ohio allowed hundreds of children to work excessive hours and perform prohibited tasks.
“Employers are strongly encouraged to avoid violations and their potentially costly consequences by using the many child labor compliance resources we offer or by contacting their local Wage and Hour Division office for guidance,” the agency’s Wage and Hour Division regional administrator, Betty Campbell, said in a prepared statement.