Crumbl Cookies Franchisees Fined 58K for Violating Child Labor Laws

The U.S. Department of Labor found that 11 Crumbl Cookie franchises violated child labor laws, fining the company nearly $60,000. The violations included scheduling teenage employees — some as young as 14 — to work longer and later hours than the law permits and having them perform hazardous tasks, such as operating ovens and other machinery.

“Employers must ensure that part-time employment does not jeopardize the safety or education of young workers,” explained Wage and Hour Division Regional Administrator Betty Campbell in Dallas. “It is the responsibility of every employer who hires minor workers to understand child labor laws and comply with them or potentially face costly consequences.”

According to the Fair Labor Standards Act, all workers under the age of 18 are banned from occupations considered hazardous by federal law. Workers under the age of 16 cannot legally work more than eight hours a day or exceed 40 hours in a given workweek. Employers also must not allow these workers to work before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on any day — except from June 1 through Labor Day, when nighttime work hours are extended to 9 p.m.

The DOL investigation follows a series of reports of child labor violations in the franchise industry. According to the labor department, investigators found child labor law violations in more than 4,000 cases between 2017 and 2021.

> At Crumbl, we are committed to maintaining a safe and welcoming work environment for all of our franchisees and their employees. We take any violation of federal labor laws very seriously. We were deeply disappointed to learn that a small number of our franchised locations were found to be in violation of these laws. We are actively working to understand what has occurred at these specific store locations and will take appropriate action to ensure that all of our franchisees are fully compliant with the law. We apologize to any of our franchisees' employees who may have been affected by this situation and want to assure the public that we are committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and compliance at every Crumbl location.