Franchisee with over 100 Burger Kings hit with $1M+ positive after ‘shocking’ baby labor infractions: state | EUROtoday

The proprietor of greater than 100 Burger King franchises in Wisconsin has been ordered to pay greater than $1 million in fines after officers discovered over 1,500 violations of kid labor legal guidelines.

Cave Enterprises, LLC, has been ordered by Wisconsin officers to pay $237,000 to baby staff and a $828,000 penalty to the state, Fox 6 Now reported.

Wisconsin officers launched an investigation into Cave Enterprises, LLC, after 33 separate complaints have been filed from 2023 to 2025, alleging violations of kid labor and wage legal guidelines, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

Cave Enterprises, which operates 105 franchises of the quick meals chain throughout the state, was discovered to have violated Wisconsin baby labor legal guidelines not less than 1,656 instances.

At least 600 children have been concerned within the firm’s infractions.

“It was still shocking even to our investigators to see that out of 105 locations around the state, violations were found at 103 locations, involving over 600 minor workers,” stated Amy Pechacek, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Secretary.

“This is the largest case that we have seen of youth working violations in modern history. We have quite honestly not seen anything to the depth and breadth of what this audit uncovered,” Pechacek added.

The state says it discovered that 593 kids ages 14 and 15 have been allowed to work on the Burger King franchises and not using a baby labor work allow, which is required by the state.

The investigation additionally discovered that 627 teenage workers labored shifts of six hours or longer and not using a meal break, violating state legislation.

The state discovered violations at places in Menomonee Falls, Oak Creek, Oconomowoc, Waukesha, West Bend, West Allis, Kenosha, Beaver Dam and Racine, in keeping with Fox.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, blamed Republican lawmakers for eroding baby labor legal guidelines within the state.

“After years of Republican lawmakers working to get rid of Wisconsin’s basic child labor law protections, I’m proud my administration is working to do the opposite by making sure bad actors are held accountable for taking advantage of kids in the workplace,” Evers stated in a press release.

The Independent has contacted Cave Enterprises for remark.