Dollar Tree Stores has been assessed $1.5 million in penalties for more than 3,900 violations of the state’s meal break laws, Attorney General Maura Healey has announced.
The company, , which also owns Family Dollar stores, was issued two citations by the AG’s Office for failing to provide employees who worked for more than six hours in one day at least 30 minutes for a meal break.
The citations involve 620 employees across 100 locations throughout Massachusetts — the majority of which are in low-income neighborhoods, Healey’s office said.
There are Family Dollar stores in Attleboro and Plainville, and Dollar Tree stores in Attleboro, North Attleboro, Norton, Foxboro and Seekonk.
“Workers give us their time, energy, and efforts to keep businesses running and our economy afloat,” Healey said. “These citations should send a message to all companies that they need to do right by their employees and provide meal breaks consistent with the law.”
The AG’s Fair Labor Division began investigating after receiving multiple complaints employees were not given proper meal breaks because of persistent staffing shortages.
Investigators were able to determine from 2018 to 2019, the company routinely cut the necessary payroll hours, leaving stores understaffed. This resulted in hundreds of employees being unable to leave their stores or take meal breaks, the AG’s office said.
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