Massachusetts officials fined Chipotle Mexican Grill $1.3 million for more than 13,000 alleged child labor violations in the state. The chain kept its teen workers clocked in later than laws allow and also let them work over the legal limit of 48 hours per week, according to the Massachusetts attorney general’s office.
The case involves more than 50 corporate-owned Chipotle restaurants in the state and the violations span from 2015 to 2019.
“Chipotle is a major national restaurant chain that employs thousands of young people across the country and it has a duty to ensure minors are safe working in its restaurants,” Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said in a Monday statement. “We hope these citations send a message to other fast-food chains and restaurants that they cannot violate our child labor laws and put young people at risk.”
Massachusetts law prohibits 14- and 15-year-olds from working after 7 pm. Those that are ages 16 and 17 can’t work past 10 pm before school days and midnight before non-school days. Minors can’t work shifts lasting longer than nine hours or more than 48 hours in one week. Minors also require valid work permits, a requirement Chipotle failed to meet in several locations.
The company is putting $500,000 toward a state-administered fund for training, workforce development, and education for youth as part of the settlement.
Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s chief corporate reputation officer, said in a statement that the company is “committed to ensuring that our restaurants are in full compliance with all laws and regulations.”
