Teen Dunkin’ employee complained of over 10-hour shifts, official says. Owners to pay
A teenage Dunkin’ employee complained of having to work more than 10 hours each shift, sparking an investigation of several company stores in Massachusetts, an official says.
The probe revealed more than 1,200 child labor law violations at 14 Dunkin’ stores in the state, according to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.
Now the store owners are paying more than $145,000 to resolve the violations, which impacted over 50 teenage workers, the office announced in an Oct. 31 news release. Some worked hours longer than allowed under state law, while others worked shifts that were too early or too late in the day.
Nationwide, child labor violations have spiked in recent years, McClatchy News reported. Some violations have proved to be deadly.
“Companies that employ young workers have a responsibility to provide a safe and productive work environment,” Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said in a statement.
The Westford Group, Inc., which runs the 14 Dunkin’ stores, and its president and treasurer were issued five citations in connection with the child labor law violations, according to the news release. The stores are located in Grafton, Leominster, Lowell, Millbury, Westborough, and Worcester.
McClatchy News contacted the Westford Group for comment on Nov. 1 and was awaiting a response.
Workers younger than 18 cannot work more than nine hours in a day in Massachusetts, according to the attorney general’s office.
The state’s investigation also found another Dunkin’ employee younger than 16 had to work more than eight hours in a day, the release said.
Child labor laws differ depending on the state, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Under federal labor laws, the working hours for employees older than 16 are not limited. When it comes to 14- and 15-year-old workers, federal law allows these teens to work up to 18 hours during a school week, and a maximum of eight hours on a weekend, according to the DOL.
In regards to the 14 Dunkin’ stores in Massachusetts, other violations included how some teenage employees did not have a work permit, while others were left alone working after 8 p.m., the release said.
Some 16- and 17-year-olds worked before 6 a.m. or after 10 p.m. in violation of state law, according to the attorney general’s office.
The investigation comes after several teenage Dunkin’ employees were working too many hours at stores in Pennsylvania, McClatchy News reported.
This story was originally published November 1, 2022 at 1:45 PM with the headline "Teen Dunkin’ employee complained of over 10-hour shifts, official says. Owners to pay."
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