MA Dunkin' Owners Fined For Child Labor Violations: AG

FALL RIVER, MA — Two Dunkin' franchisees will pay nearly $400,000 in fines for child labor law violations ranging from forcing teens to work longer hours than permitted to letting them work without adult supervision.

Courtney Donuts, LLC, which owns Dunkin' stores in north-central Middlesex County, will pay $220,000 in fines for violations like allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to work more than nine hours in a day and putting them to work before 6 a.m., according to state Attorney General Andrea Campbell.

Somerset Donut Express, Inc., which operates stores in the Fall River area, committed similar violations and will pay $150,000 in fines, according to the AG.

The latest round of fines follow a six-figure penalty paid by a Worcester-area Dunkin' franchise in November. The state has also fined fast-food chains Chipotle and Qdoba over child labor violations. Dunkin' franchisees alone have racked up 32 violations since January 2022.

"My office remains committed to protecting the health and well-being of the state’s youngest workers, ensuring their rights are protected, and that companies are complying with the rules we have in place," Campbell said.