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The restaurant has 20 locations across D.C.
WASHINGTON — Fast-casual restaurant Chipotle will have to fork over more than $300,000 after an investigation showed violations of child labor laws in the District.
In May 2022, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) started investigating the restaurant's labor practices after reviewing reports of other areas where Chipotle was allegedly violating other states' child labor laws.
In D.C., child labor laws has protections for minor employees' work hours, which include prohibiting employers from requiring minors to work past 10 p.m., work more than eight hours in a day, work more than six consecutive days in a workweek, or work more than 48 hours in a workweek. Over the past three years, the OAG identified over 800 potential violations to those child labor laws at D.C. Chipotles.
“We applaud young people who take the initiative to work in addition to going to school. But the law limits the hours they can work to ensure they are healthy, well-rested, and able to fulfill their responsibilities as students and to their families," the OAG said in a news release. "Our investigation examined whether Chipotle violated laws intended to protect our children, and today’s outcome continues the Office of the Attorney General’s proven track record of enforcing D.C.’s labor protections to the fullest extent of the law. We will put this settlement to good use by helping connect District youth with apprenticeships and workforce training opportunities, building on our efforts to ensure that all young people in the District have the chance to thrive and succeed.”
Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced Monday that Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., which operates 20 locations in D.C., will pay the District $322,400 and adopt a new, comprehensive training and workplace compliance plan to resolve the allegations of District child labor law violations.
As a result of OAG’s investigation and action, Chipotle must:
- Pay $322,400 to the District as a penalty for violating the District’s child labor laws.
- Implement new formal policies and procedures to ensure future compliance with District labor laws.
- Provide formal training on the District’s child labor laws to all restaurant managers and supervisors within the District. This has to be done within six months of their hire or promotion.
- Ensure that store managers personally review the District’s child labor laws with all newly hired minor employees at onboarding.
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