Wisconsin demands $1M from Burger King franchisee over alleged child labor, wage violations
Wisconsin officials are seeking more than $1 million from a Burger King franchise operator after determining the company committed more than 1,600 child labor and wage violations affecting hundreds of minors across the state.The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) said Cave Enterprises Operations LLC, an Illinois-based company that operates 105 Burger King franchises in Wisconsin, committed at least 1,656 violations of state child labor and wage payment laws during a two-year period ending in January 2025.State officials described the case as the “largest determination of child labor and wage payment violations in modern Wisconsin history.”According to DWD, the violations affected more than 600 children.The agency found that 593 employees ages 14 and 15 were allowed to begin work without the required child labor permits, 627 minor employees worked shifts of six hours or more without legally required meal breaks, and hundreds of minors under age 16 worked outside permitted hours or exceeded limits for school-age workers.Gov.
Tony Evers said the enforcement action reflects the state’s responsibility to protect minors in the workforce.“Here in Wisconsin, we have a proud history of making sure workers are treated with dignity and respect, and that’s especially true when it comes to our kids,” Evers said.“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.”Evers, a Democrat, criticized Republican lawmakers, arguing they weakened child labor protections in the state, while saying his administration is committed to holding employers accountable.DWD’s Equal Rights Division opened its investigation after reviewing department records that showed 33 separate child labor and wage payment complaints against individual Cave Enterprises franchises between 2020 and 2023.
The agency reviewed employment records re...