Chipotle Fined Over $1 Million for Child Labor Violations

Chipotle has been fined $1.3 million for more than 13,000 child labor violations in around 50 of its Massachusetts locations, in which the burrito chain was found to have kept teenagers working such long hours it was preventing them from finishing their schoolwork, among other infractions.

The investigation was prompted in 2016 after the attorney general’s office received a complaint from the parent of a minor employee, which claimed the minor worked a shift that lasted past midnight. According to Masslive,

The investigation also found that the company regularly employed minors without work permits, permitted dozens of 16- and 17-year old employees to work later than the law allows and allowed minors to work beyond the 9-hour daily limit and 48-hour weekly limit.

Chipotle did not properly notify employees of their rights under the earned sick time law and failed to give the attorney general’s office complete timekeeping records, [State Attorney General Maura] Healey said.

The company also failed to pay workers within six days of the end of a pay period.

In the settlement agreement, Chipotle agreed to pay $500,000 toward a fund that will educate young people about child labor enforcement laws and workforce development.