Three Pennsylvania Dunkin’ locations violated child labor laws by allowing teenagers to work longer and later than permitted, the Department of Labor said in a press release on Tuesday.
The Dunkin’ franchisee, Akshar Ashish LLC, paid a fine of more than $24,000 over the violations at its Hershey, Hummelstown and Palmyra locations, according to the Department of Labor.
“Employers who choose to hire young workers have a legal responsibility to know and abide by the federal laws that govern their employment,” Alfonso Gristina, the department’s wage and hour district director in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., said in a statement.
At the three Dunkin’ locations, 14- and 15-years-olds worked more than three hours on a school day or eight hours on a non-school day, worked after 7 p.m. on a school night or 9 p.m. on summer break, and worked more than 18 hours during a school week — all actions that violate the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Employers’ “obligations include ensuring minors only work during permitted hours, so employment does not interfere with their education, health and well-being,” Gristina added.
As part of its agreement with the Department of Labor, the franchisee will also conduct child labor training with its managers and supervisors, provide child labor publications, and use different colored name tags to help managers identify workers under the age of 16, according to the press release.
Several fast-food chains have faced similar violations for overworking their teenage employees. Last week, nine Burger King restaurants in South Carolina were found to have violated child labor laws for allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to work beyond the permitted hours.
A Chick-fil-A in Tampa paid more than $12,000 in fines for similar violations in August, while Jersey Mike’s paid more than $24,000 in June for violations at 10 locations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Oregon.