BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced a $50,000 fine on Friday against a West Springfield restaurant management company that allegedly violated state child labor laws.
MHC Services LLC, the owner and operator of seven Western Massachusetts Burger King restaurants, allegedly engaged in multiple violations of Massachusetts' Child Labor Laws. Under the terms of an agreement, MHC will enact several procedures to ensure future compliance with wage, hour and child labor laws in the state and pay $50,000 in penalties to the state.
"Our child labor laws are designed to protect minors' health and well-being by prohibiting their employment in certain jobs and limiting the hours they can work," Coakley said.
In September 2011, Coakley's office received a complaint alleging child labor violations at one of the Burger King locations owned by MHC. Coakley's Fair Labor Division audited company records and found numerous instances of minors working later than 10 p.m. on school nights and/or later than midnight on weekend nights. Additionally, on numerous occasions, minors worked longer than the maximum number of daily work hours allowed under the state's Child Labor Laws.
The state's Child Labor Laws restrict the occupations in which minors may be employed and the hours during which they work. It is illegal for minors to work past 8 p.m. without adult supervision in the state of Massachusetts.
Coakley's office is responsible for enforcing laws regulating wage payments, overtime, meal breaks and the misclassification of employees in the state.
Mass. AG Coakley announces $50K fine
