Restaurant franchise owner in Troy cited for violating child labor laws

TROY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A restaurant franchise owner in Troy has been cited for violating child labor laws after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor found teens worked excessive hours when school was in session at one of its restaurants.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division fined Michigan Multi-King $48,251 after it uncovered 63 teens aged 14 and 15 worked more than they should have at a Popeyes eatery.

"Far too often, we find teens working hours that are not allowed by the Fair Labor Standards Act," said Wage and Hour District Director Timolin Mitchell in Detroit. "Child labor laws were enacted nearly a century ago to protect children. Employers that hire teen labor must ensure they follow the law while allowing teens to earn valuable work experience."

The youth workers worked more than 19 hours when school was in session, or worked past 7 p.m. before June 1 and past 9 p.m. between June 1 and Labor Day.

Kids that are 14 and 15 years old are prohibited from working later than 9 p.m. during the summer and 7 p.m. during the remainder of the year. They also cannot work more than three hours on a school day, eight hours on a non-school day, and 18 hours per week. 

The department created an Interagency Task Force to combat child labor exploitation in February 2023. Since then, they've identified 955 cases of child labor violations. More than $8 million in penalties have been handed out.