Chipotle settles DC child labor allegations for $300K

Chipotle has agreed to pay more than $300,000 after an investigation revealed hundreds of potential violations of the District of Columbia's child labor laws at Chipotle restaurants in the city, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced.

Schwalb's office said in a press release Monday that an investigation found more than 800 “potential violations” of D.C.’s child labor laws in Chipotle restaurants in the city in the past three years. The release said Chipotle has agreed to pay D.C. $322,400.

In D.C., minors are prohibited from working after 10 p.m., working more than 8 hours in a day, or working more than 48 hours in one week. They are also prohibited from working six consecutive days. Child labor laws require establishments employing any minors to “keep conspicuously posted” a notice of the regulations governing child labor.

“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,” Schwalb said in a statement.

His office began investigating alleged violations in May 2022 after reports in other jurisdictions surfaced related to Chipotle’s alleged violations of child labor laws.

The D.C. attorney general's office said in its press release that “Chipotle cooperated with [the attorney general's] investigation and worked with the office to develop a plan to comply with DC’s child labor laws.”

Schwalb said as part of the settlement, Chipotle will adopt a new training program, ensuring formal training for all apprentices and general managers within six months of their hire. Store managers will be required to provide all minors who are employees with a copy of D.C.’s child labor policy. 

Schwalb said some of the settlement money will fund a “Youth Employment Opportunities Grant.”

“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,” he said. 

The Hill has reached out to Chipotle for comment on the settlement.

Reported child labor violations across the country have surged in the past few years, with incidents rising 69 percent between 2018 and 2022, according to federal data.

The Department of Labor and a dedicated task force have sought to combat the problem with a "whole-of-government approach." Recently, an independent Labor watchdog agency launched an investigation into the surge of violations and the department’s response to the problem.