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ST. GEORGE — Two Chick-fil-A restaurants in Utah were fined $187,000 by the U.S. Department of Labor and ordered to pay $47,000 in back wages and liquidated damages.
The department says that the restaurants employed 237 minors in violation of child labor provisions. The back wages and liquidated damages stem from 101 employees who were required to clock out for every break under 20 minutes, without compensation.
"We know that good and safe jobs can give young workers meaningful experience and training, but employers must ensure they follow all federal labor laws," Wage and Hour Division District Director Kevin Hunt said in a statement. "Employers must also comply with federal laws that protect workers' rights to their full wages and make sure that young employees' work experience does not interfere with their education."
There are 33 Chick-fil-A locations throughout Utah, including three in St. George.
The Wage and Hour Division assessed the restaurant's operator, Utah-based DM Holding Co. LLC, with the penalties for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act — which establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, record-keeping and youth employment standards affecting employees in the private sector and in federal, state and local governments — child labor provisions.
Investigators said the locations illegally allowed 14- and 15-year-old employees to work past permitted hours and for too many hours in a day. Additionally, the employer incurred overtime violations by not including the missing break time when paying time-and-a-half the regular rate of pay for hours over 40 in a workweek.
"Child labor violations and the failure to pay for all (hours) of work, as well as overtime had costly consequences for this Chick-fil-A franchisee in St. George," Hunt said.
Chick-fil-A isn't the first Utah fast-food location to have violated child labor laws this year.
In March, the labor department announced that Utah soda and dessert shop Sodalicious violated federal child labor laws at its Midvale, Orem, Provo and South Jordan locations.
"The division determined that Sodalicious allowed 14- and 15-year-old employees to work past 7 p.m. when school was in session, after 9 p.m. during summer months and more than 3 hours on a school day at four of its Utah locations," the department said in a release.
In response to the Sodalicious locations violating the Fair Labor Act, the division assessed the company with $13,946 in penalties to resolve the infractions.
It was also revealed in December that 11 Crumbl Cookie locations, including four in Utah (Bountiful, Centerville, Layton and Ogden locations), were in violation of child labor laws.
