BOSTON — Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell on Tuesday announced that her office issued fines to dozens of Dunkin’, McDonald’s, and Subway franchise locations across Massachusetts for violating the state’s child labor laws.
Campbell’s office said the citations against franchise operators Cafua Management Company, The Brewster Company, and Knight Food Service include a combined total of $226,385 in penalties against the employers.
“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,” Campbell said in a statement. “My office will continue to enforce these laws to empower our youth and remind employers that Massachusetts is serious about protecting its workforce.”
Cafua, which operates over 80 Dunkin Donuts franchise locations in Stoneham, North Andover, Danvers, Westford, Chicopee, Billerica, Pittsfield, Fall River, Lawrence, Dracut, Methuen, Chelmsford, Lowell, Tyngsboro, Saugus, Charlestown, Medford, Millbury, Westborough, Worcester, Grafton, Burlington, Lee, Peabody, Salisbury, North Billerica, Somerville, and Great Barrington, was hit with $140,000 in penalties.
Between February 2020 and February 2023, the Dunkin’ franchise operator failed to obtain work permits before employing minors, permitted minors to work during legally prohibited hours, employed minors above the state’s limit of nine daily working hours for workers who are 16 and 17 years old, and employed minors to work without an immediate adult supervisor after 8 p.m., according to Campbell’s office.
Brewster, which operates eight McDonald’s franchise locations in Everett, Hanover, Woburn, Weymouth, Quincy, Norwell, Malden, and Revere, was issued $63,930 in penalties.
Between May 2021 and May 2024, the McDonald’s franchise operator similarly failed to obtain work permits before employing minors, permitted minors to work during legally prohibited hours, and employed minors above the state’s limit of nine daily working hours for workers who are 16 and 17 years old, according to Cambell’s office.
Knight, which operates multiple Subway franchise locations, including one in Brockton, was issued a $22,455 fine.
Between February 2023 and August 2024, the Subway franchise operator also failed to obtain work permits before employing minors, employed minors above the state’s limit of nine daily working hours for workers who are 16 and 17 years old, employed minors to work without an immediate adult supervisor after 8 p.m., and failed to provide meal breaks for minors working more than six hours a day, according to Cambell’s office.
Since Campbell took office in January 2023, her office has issued over $4.9 million in citations, impacting over 22,300 young workers across the Bay State.
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