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2 Mass. Dunkin’ franchisees hit with $370K in fines for child labor violations
The attorney general's office said thousands of violations occurred across 27 stores and affected hundreds of underage employees.
Two Massachusetts Dunkin’ Donuts franchisees were fined $370,000 after an investigation revealed several child labor law violations, according to officials.
Attorney General Andrea Campbell‘s office announced Thursday that franchisees Courtney Donuts LLC, which runs Dunkin’ shops in central Massachusetts, and Somerset Donut Express Inc., which has Dunkin’ locations in southeastern Massachusetts, were hit with the penalties.
According to Campbell’s office, Courtney Donuts, which operates 20 Dunkin’ shops across the state, along with manager Steven Catalano, received four citations totaling over $222,000. The violations include failure to obtain valid work permits; employing minors after 8 p.m. without adult supervision; employment of 16- or 17-year-olds for more than nine hours a day; and employment of minors earlier than 6 a.m.
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Somerset Donut Express, which operates seven Dunkin’ stores in Somerset, Fall River, and Dartmouth, along with owners Robert Mongeon and Catherine Mello, received four citations totaling $150,000, according to officials. Their violations also include failing to get valid work permits, employing minors after 8 p.m. without adult supervision, and employing 16- or 17-year-olds for more than nine hours a day. The shop was also cited for keeping minor employees on later than 10 p.m.
The attorney general’s office began investigating Somerset Donut Express after a complaint claimed that minors were forced to work in violation of several Massachusetts child labor laws. Investigators uncovered more than a thousand instances in which the state’s child labor statutes were violated. According to Campbell’s office, hundreds of young employees were affected.
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“Companies who employ young workers must comply with our child labor laws and provide a safe and fair environment for them,” Campbell said in a statement. “My office remains committed to protecting the health and well-being of the state’s youngest workers, ensuring their rights are protected, and that companies are complying with the rules we have in place.”
Since January 2022, the attorney general’s office has issued 32 citations totaling over $564,000 in fines against owners of several Dunkin’ franchises in Massachusetts. The majority of the citations relate to child labor violations.
In October 2022, citations were issued to the owners of Dunkin’ shops in Lowell, Worcester, Grafton, Millbury, Westborough, and Leominster, for violations of child labor laws. In 2021, the attorney general’s office also cited a management company and its owner, which operated 10 Massachusetts Dunkin’ Donuts, for similar violations.
Workers wishing to file complaints can do so online at mass.gov/ago/fld.
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