“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,” US Department of Labour official Karen Garnett-Civils said.
The violations involving the 10-year-olds date back to August last year, according to department official Juan Coria.
One of the 10-year-olds worked 10 shifts between two and four hours per night. The other child worked during a similar time.
The kids are two of more than 300 minors under 16 that the agency’s Wage and Hour Division inspectors discovered were working unlawfully at restaurants in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, and Ohio.
“We are seeing an increase in federal child labour violations, including allowing minors to operate equipment or handle types of work that endangers them or employs them for more hours or later in the day than federal law allows,” Garnett-Civils said.
A 15-year-old was injured while using a deep fryer at a McDonald’s in Tennessee in June 2022.
“One child injured at work is one too many,” Garnett-Civils said.
“Child labour laws exist to ensure that when young people work, the job does not jeopardise their health, wellbeing or education.”
McDonald’s senior vice-president and chief people officer Tiffanie Boyd said in a statement the revelations were unacceptable, deeply troubling and don’t meet the high expectations for the McDonald’s brand.
“I know how important it is that every restaurant fosters a culture of safety. As a mother whose teenage son proudly worked at our local McDonald’s, I feel this on a very personal level. We are committed to ensuring our franchisees have the resources they need to foster safe workplaces for all employees and maintain compliance with all labour laws,” the statement read.
