Business

AG fines Mass. Popeye’s, BK franchise operators more than $2 million over child labor, workers rights violations

The Attorney General’s Office estimates that the alleged violations impacted nearly 2,000 employees at Burger King establishments across Massachusetts.

Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s office issued citations against Northeast Foods LLC, which oversees dozens of Burger King franchise locations in the state, for violating state employment and child labor laws. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

By Lindsay Shachnow

November 27, 2024

2 minutes to read

Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s office issued citations against a food supply company that operates fast food restaurants across Massachusetts for violating state employment and child labor laws, officials announced Tuesday.

The citations against Northeast Foods LLC, which oversees dozens of Burger King franchise locations in the state, total to $2,029,754 and include restitution for unpaid wages and penalties, according to a statement from Campbell’s office.

The office alleged that between January 2022 and March 2023, the Burger King franchise operator violated Massachusetts’ wage and hour laws by not paying workers minimum wage, not paying them in a timely manner, and in some cases, failing to pay them at all, the statement said.

The office also alleged that the operator prevented workers from earning sick time as legally required, did not maintain accurate employee payroll records, and failed to provide certain requested documentation, including payroll records, to the office.

The state’s earned sick time law gives workers the right to earn up to 40 hours of job-protected sick time per year, accruing one hour of earned sick leave for every 30 hours worked.

Additionally, Campbell’s office alleged that the franchise operator violated Massachusetts’ child labor laws by scheduling minors to work during legally prohibited hours “in excess of the state’s limit of nine daily working hours for workers that are 16 and 17 years old,” the statement said.

The attorney general’s office, which started investigating the matter after receiving a complaint from a worker at a Burger King restaurant who said they were not getting paid, estimates that the alleged violations impacted nearly 2,000 employees at Burger King establishments across Massachusetts.

This week’s citations against Burger King franchises in the state come after similar allegations were raised against the fast food establishment in recent years.

The office cited Northeast Foods LLC for multiple violations of the state’s child labor laws at various Burger King locations in 2017 and 2022, and cited the company for not maintaining a legally required earned sick leave policy at a Burger King location in Marlborough in 2019, authorities said.

Separately, the attorney general’s office reached a settlement with the Popeyes franchise operators, Amish Parikh and Ashish Parikh, who own 19 Popeyes franchise locations across Massachusetts, the statement said. The settlement resolves allegations that the operators violated the state’s child labor laws and the earned sick time law.

The office issued $212,516 in citations against the Popeyes operators, as part of the settlement which included restitution for impacted workers and penalties, according to officials.

Campbell’s office alleged that Popeyes franchise operators did not allow three of its workers to use sick time as legally required and scheduled minors to work during legally prohibited hours.

“Our workplace laws exist to provide crucial rights and protections to our workforce,” Campbell said in the statement. “My office will continue to enforce these laws to protect and empower workers, including young workers who contribute to their communities and gain new skills and experiences.”