​“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.”  Read More  Breaking News
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“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.”

Attorney General Andrea Campbell announced Tuesday her office issued citations against three companies operating more than 88 locations of Dunkin’, McDonald’s, and Subway franchises in Massachusetts for violating the state’s child labor laws. 

According to the AG’s office, the separate citations were made against Cafua Management Company, LLC, The Brewster Company, LLC, and Knight Food Service, Inc. with a combined total of $226,385 in penalties leveled 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.”

Campbell’s office alleged that Cafua Management Company — which operates more than 80 franchises of Dunkin’ across Massachusetts — failed to obtain work permits before employing minors between February 2020 and February 2023. The AG’s office said the company also allowed minors to work during legally prohibited hours, employed them beyond the state’s limit of nine daily working hours, and had them working without an adult supervisor after 8 p.m. 

Cafua agreed to a settlement with Campbell’s office which included $140,000 in penalties, according to the AG’s office. 

The AG’s office alleged that The Brewster Company, which runs eight McDonald’s franchises in the state, failed between May 2021 and May 2024 to obtain work permits before employing minors, allowed the young workers to take shifts during legally prohibited hours, and let them stay on the clock beyond the limit of nine daily working hours. Brewster agreed to a settlement that included $63,930 in penalties, according to the AG’s office.

Knight Food Service, which operates several Subway franchises in Massachusetts, was found between February 2023 and August 2024 to have violated the state’s daily limit of working hours for minors, allowed the young workers to be without an adult supervisor after 8 p.m., and failed to get work permits before employing the minors. In addition, Campbell’s office alleged the company did not give the minors meal breaks when they were working more than six hours a day, a violation of state wage and hour laws. 

According to the AG’s office, the company was issued $22,455 in penalties. 

Requests for comment from the companies were not immediately returned Tuesday night.