Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Labor found evidence of multiple child labor violations at McDonald's throughout Kentucky. Multiple franchisees were reportedly employing hundreds of teenagers between the ages of 14 and 16 beyond their allowed hours. This included instances of teenagers working during school hours, and in one extreme case, two 10-year-old children were employed without pay — sometimes as late as 2 a.m. — at one franchise location.

The Labor Department's findings are by no means the first violations issued to McDonald's franchisees. Last year, the U.S. Department of Labor found that a San Diego restaurant had minors operating under hazardous conditions, and more than one hundred 14- and 15-year-olds were also found to be working well past their hourly limits in Pittsburgh area McDonald's franchises. In February 2023, franchises in Northwestern Pennsylvania were subject to $92,000 in fines for child labor law violations.

These violations are even more unsettling as state lawmakers seem to be paving the way to legalize the use of an underage workforce. States like New Jersey have recently extended the hours that children as young as 14 can work in the state during summer months. McDonald's franchises in the state were punished for teens working too many hours in 2018.

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