The Attorney General’s Office issued citations against 88 Dunkin’, McDonald’s and Subway locations across Massachusetts for violating the state’s child labor laws.
The citations, which include a combined total of $226,385 in fines for the fast food employers, were brought against Cafua Management Company LLC, The Brewster Company LLC, and Knight Food Service Inc., according to an announcement Tuesday from Attorney General Joy Campbell.
“Our child labor laws exist to protect young workers and prioritize their safety and education as they learn new skills, earn income, and contribute to their communities,” said AG Campbell.
“My office will continue to enforce these laws to empower our youth and remind employers that Massachusetts is serious about protecting its workforce.”
None of the Dunkin’, McDonald’s and Subway restaurants across the Bay State had permits for the minors to be employed over the past five years, and all had 16- and 17-year-old employees working past the state’s daily nine-hour limit, Campbell said.
The teenagers working at Dunkin’ between February 2020 and February 2023 also worked without an adult supervisor after 8 p.m., and the franchise operator did not obtain work permits before hiring the children, Campbell said.
The attorney general’s office issued $140,000 in penalties against Cafua, which had Dunkin’ locations in over 80 locations across the entire state, including in Greater Boston, the North Shore and the southeastern coast, and Central, Eastern and Western Massachusetts.
The attorney general’s office also issued $63,930 in penalties against Brewster for violations of child labor laws at eight McDonald’s franchise locations from May 2021 to May 2024. The locations are in Everett, Hanover, Woburn, Weymouth, Quincy, Norwell, Malden and Revere.
As for the teenage Subway workers, Campbell said they were also working past 8 p.m. without an adult supervisor and weren’t allowed to have meal breaks after working for over six hours.
The attorney general’s office issued $22,455 in penalties against Knight for its violations from February 2023 to August 2024. Knight operates multiple Subway locations across the state, including one in Brockton.
Under Massachusetts child labor law, teens aged 16 and 17 cannot work for more than nine hours a day, six days a week and 48 hours a week. The attorney general office encourages Massachusetts workers who believe their workplace rights are being violated to file a complaint at mass.gov/ago/fld, or call the attorney general’s Fair Labor Hotline at 617-727-3465 for more information.
