Massachusetts has fined Chipotle Mexican Grill $1.37 million after finding more than 13,000 child labor violations in more than 50 locations across the state.
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced the fine, the largest child labor settlement in the state’s history, on Monday. Chipotle also agreed to pay an additional $500,000 for youth education programs on child labor laws.
“Chipotle is a major national restaurant chain that employs thousands of young people across the country, and it has a duty to ensure minors are safe working in its restaurants,” Healey said. “We hope these citations send a message to other fast food chains and restaurants that they cannot violate our child labor laws and put young people at risk.”
Healey’s office launched an investigation into the popular burrito chain in 2016 after a parent of an employee complained to the attorney general. The investigation found 13,253 instances of the restaurant chain working teenagers past the state-mandated nine-hour daily limit and other child labor law violations.
Chipotle also paid out penalties for violating earned sick time agreements. Store managers had been paying sick leave for only certain illnesses and holding back from paying for others.
