On Feb. 6, Governor Tony Evers sent out a press release regarding alleged child labor law violations by the Cave Enterprises Burger King franchise group. This group operates 105 franchises across the state. Over the past two years, Cave Enterprises has accrued over 1,656 violations of Wisconsin child labor and wage payment laws, affecting over 600 children. Violations include employees aged 14-15 working without a permit, minors working without taking legally required meal breaks, minors under the age of 16 working outside allowed hours or working above the maximum permitted hours for their age and failure to pay wages.
The Department of Workforce Development issued a letter to Cave Enterprises summarizing the wages owed to affected employees, including unpaid wages, unpaid overtime wages, and penalty wages up to $500 per violation. According to the press release, the DWD is willing to resolve the issue outside of court if Cave Enterprises agrees to pay the owed wages, totaling over $230k, in addition to penalties up to $828,000: $500 per violation for 1,656 violations. The company will have 20 days to make its payments by the time it receives the DWD’s letter.