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Burger King Under Scrutiny
A lot of young Burger King workers in Wisconsin could soon be getting some backpay.
The state on Friday said one of the largest Burger King franchises in the state, Cave Enterprise, must pay more than $237,000 to nearly 600 current and former workers.
The state says the owner didn't pay some young workers for required meal breaks or overtime. Other teens were hired without workers permits, or worked more hours than state law allows.
"For kids who choose to work, child labor laws provide essential protection to ensure that they can continue to do well in school and enjoy the best parts about growing up in Wisconsin while staying safe in the workplace," Department of Workforce Development Secretary Amy Pechacek said in a statement.
DWD said its investigation into Cave found "33 separate child labor and wage payment complaints against individual franchises from 2020 to 2023. DWD reviewed records related to the employment of minors from Jan. 1, 2023, through Jan. 25, 2025, and determined that Cave Enterprises violated Wisconsin child labor laws at least 1,656 times during the investigative period."
Most of those violations centered around young workers who worked too much, or too early or too late.
"Overall, 593 employees aged 14 and 15 were allowed to begin work without a child labor permit, 627 minor employees worked shifts of six hours or more without the meal break mandated under Wisconsin law, and hundreds of minor employees under age 16 worked before or after allowed hours or worked more hours than permitted for school-age workers," DWD added.
Gov. Evers said the fine and ordered backpay is the largest in state history.
"We have a responsibility to make sure kids who are working are protected from exploitation, predatory employer practices, and being subjected to hazardous or illegal working conditions, and that’s a responsibility we must take seriously," the governor said in a statement.
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