D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb said Monday that Chipotle Mexican Grill will pay the city $322,400 and adopt a comprehensive training and workplace compliance plan to resolve allegations of D.C. child labor law violations, including hundreds of instances in which the company failed to abide by legal caps on the number of hours minors are allowed to work.
Chipotle has 20 restaurants in the District.
“We applaud young people who take the initiative to work in addition to going to school,” Schwalb said. “But the law limits the hours they can work to ensure that they are healthy, well-rested, and able to fulfill their responsibilities as to students and to their families. Our investigation examined whether Chipotle violated laws intended to protect their 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.”
Schwalb’s office started investigating Chipotle’s labor practices after reviewing reports from other jurisdictions where the company was alleged to have violated child labor laws. In the District, minors cannot work past 10 p.m. and only up to eight hours a day. Minors also cannot work six consecutive days in a workweek and are limited to 48 hours weekly.
In addition to paying the $322,400 penalty and adopting a compliance plan, the company must provide formal training on child labor laws to management and see that minor employees understand the law.