A McDonald's made a pair of 10-year-olds work without pay and sometimes until 2 a.m., federal authorities say

• A McDonald's made 10-year-olds work for no pay and until 2 a.m., per the Labor Department.
• The franchisee told Insider that the kids were visiting their parent, who worked as a night manager.

A McDonald's in Kentucky has been fined for hiring two unpaid 10-year-old children and at times making them work as late as 2 a.m., the Department of Labor said.

The pair of children was employed by Bauer Food LLC, a Louisville-based operator of 10 McDonald's restaurants, the department said in a Tuesday statement.

The two children would prepare and distribute food orders, clean the restaurant, work at the drive-thru window, and operate a register, the labor department said.

Investigators also found that one of the 10-year-olds was allowed to work a deep fryer, a "prohibited task for workers under 16 years old," per the statement.

Bauer Food told Insider that the two kids were visiting their parent — a night manager at one of its restaurants — and weren't approved by management to be in that part of the restaurant.

Any work done by the children was at the direction, and in the presence, of their parent, according to Bauer Food. The operator said the kids' work was never authorized by management or the franchise's leadership.

Bauer Food added that it's made sure its employees are now clear on the company's policy regarding children visiting their parent or guardian at work.

"Under no circumstances should there ever be a 10-year-old child working in a fast-food kitchen around hot grills, ovens and deep fryers," Karen Garnett-Civils, the wage and hour division district director in Louisville, Kentucky, said in the Labor Department's statement.

The Labor Department also found that Bauer Food allowed 22 other teenagers under the age of 16 to work more than legally permitted hours. Under federal labor law, 14- and 15-year-olds can work up to 40 hours on a non-school week and 18 hours during a school week.

Bauer Food was fined $39,711, the department said. Another two McDonald's operators — Archways Richmond and Bell Restaurant Group — were also fined for allowing minors to work beyond legally permitted hours.

"These reports are unacceptable, deeply troubling and run afoul of the high expectations we have for the entire McDonald's brand," Tiffanie Boyd, senior vice president and chief people officer at McDonald's USA, told Insider in a statement. "It is not lost on us the significant responsibility we carry to ensure a positive and safe experience for everyone under the Arches."

"As a mother whose teenage son proudly worked at our local McDonald's, I feel this on a very personal level," Boyd added. "We are committed to ensuring our franchisees have the resources they need to foster safe workplaces for all employees and maintain compliance with all labor laws."

Meanwhile, the Labor Department is seeing an uptick in federal child labor violations, Garnett-Civils said.

In June 2022, a 15-year-old McDonald's employee in Morristown suffered heavy oil burns while using a deep fryer, per the Labor Department.

"One child injured at work is one too many. Child labor laws exist to ensure that when young people work, the job does not jeopardize their health, well-being or education," said Garnett-Civils.