BOISE, Idaho — After an investigation, Darmody Enterprises LTD, which owns and operates 11 McDonald's locations in Idaho, has paid $50,000 in civil money penalties for violating child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA).
The investigation done by the US Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) found Darmody Enterprises violated child labor requirements at 11 locations in Boise, Meridian and Nampa. The violation was done by allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to work more than three hours during school days; past 7 p.m. during school days; more than 8 hours per day on non-school days; and past 9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day, according to a news release.
"Child labor laws exist to strike a balance between providing a meaningful work experience for young people and keeping them safe on the job so that the work does not jeopardize their health and well-being or educational opportunities," said Wage and Hour Division District Director Thomas Silva, in Portland, Oregon. "Employers should evaluate their employment practices to ensure that they comply, and avoid violations like those found in this case. We invite all employers to contact the Wage and Hour Division for compliance assistance and with any questions they may have."
The release also said the employer allowed 14- and 15-year-old employees to work the manual fryer baskets, which is also a violation. The employer violated FLSA recordkeeping requirements when it failed to maintain accurate proof of one minor employee's age.
