“McDonald’s Exposed for Employing Child Labor in More Than 60 US Stores”

McDonald’s, the world’s leading fast food industry, was exposed to employing child labor. Two 10-year-old children in the United States were found to be “working” at a branch in Louisville. They even went to work until 2 am without pay. According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DoL),305 children were illegally employed at more than 60 stores across the U.S.and made many children work overtime. McDonald’s said that this incident was “unacceptable” and would ensure that all franchisees abide by the law.

According to CNN, more than 60 U.S. stores employing child labor are owned by three franchisees across Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland and Ohio. The Department of Labor said in a statement that inspections of a store in Louisville, Kentucky, revealed the incident when they found two children of the night manager working “on the grill, oven and frying area.”

The investigation also found that the two children “have not been paid anything” other than working until 2 a.m., Bauer Foods LLC, the franchisee that manages the branch, confirmed the incident and said the two children entered “that section” without approval from upper management. The other two franchisees, Archways Richwood and Bell Restaurant Group, did not respond to the explosion of child labor.

Tiffanie Boyd, McDonald’s vice president and chief human resources officer, said the incidents were unacceptable and deeply disturbing, “which goes against our high expectations for the brand,” and said it would ensure franchisees had the resources they needed. Comply with labor laws and create a safe working environment for all employees. The three franchisees found to employ child labor were fined US$2.12 million (approximately NT$65.03 million) in civil fines.