Franchiser accused of child labor law violations
Cave Enterprises operates more than 100 Burger King franchises in Wisconsin.
The state Department of Workforce Development has ordered the operator of more than 100 Burger King franchises in Wisconsin to pay more than $1 million in fees and unpaid wages to resolve 1,656 alleged child labor violations.
The allegations against Cave Enterprises involve more than 600 children ages 14 and 15 over two years. They include allegations of 627 children working six hours or more without a meal break mandated by state law and 593 children working without a child labor permit, according to Gov. Tony Evers' office.
Additionally, hundreds of minor employees were working more hours and later than state law allows them to, the DWD said. On school days, state law restricts 14and 15-year-olds to working a maximum of three hours a day no later than 7 p.m.; on days when school is not in session, children are allowed to work up to eight hours a day.
The two-year investigation began after the department received nearly three dozen child labor and wage complaints against Burger King franchises between 2020 and 2023.
The department is offering to resolve the issue with Cave Enterprises through the payment of penalties, rather than taking the case to court, Evers said in a statement. DWD is levying $500 per violation, based on the department's previous enforcement actions against the company and the number of infractions, bringing the punitive fines to $828,000.
The department is also requiring the operator to pay more than $237,000 in back pay to its minor employees.
Both fees would need to be paid in 20 days to avoid court action. Should the company not choose to settle on the punitive damages, Evers' statement said, a judge could levy fees up to twice as high, or more than $1.6 million, as the fine for violating child labor laws ranges between $25 and $1,000.
The order for back pay to workers is not subject to court action.
In the statement, Evers called the enforcement action "the largest determination of child labor and wage payment violations" in modern state history.
"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.
Evers' office alerted reporters to the filing late Thursday on condition they not contact Cave Enterprises or disclose details of the complaint until Friday morning.
Cave Enterprises operates Burger King franchises in eight states across the Midwest and the Great Plains states. In Southeast Wisconsin, locations include one in Delevan, one in Elkhorn, one in Kenosha, one in Lake Geneva, two in Mount Pleasant, two in Racine, one in Somers, one in Walworth and one in Waterford.
In 2024, a bill introduced by Republican lawmakers sought to ease child labor restrictions to address worker shortage issues by eliminating worker permits for children ages 14 and 15. Worker permit requirements for 16and 17-year-olds were eliminated from state law in 2017.
