Chick-fil-A owner fined in North Carolina: underage workers allegedly paid with meals

The U.S. Department of Labor has fined a Chick-fil-A franchise in North Carolina more than $6,000 after finding that the restaurant let minors perform hazardous tasks and paid some workers with meal vouchers instead of wages. The agency’s findings, released Monday, underscore enforcement of federal child labor and wage rules—and serve as a reminder for employers about compliance risks today.

The franchise, operated by Good Name 22:1 LLC in Hendersonville, N.C., was cited after investigators determined that three employees under 18 had been allowed to operate, load or unload a trash compactor—activities federal rules classify as hazardous for minors. The Wage and Hour Division assessed $6,450 in civil penalties related to those violations.

Separate violations involved drive-thru and parking‑lot staff who were paid in meal vouchers rather than cash or equivalent legal tender. Because of that practice, the restaurant was ordered to pay $235 in back wages to seven workers.

What the DOL found

• Hazardous child labor: Three minors handled a trash compactor; $6,450 in penalties assessed.
• Improper payment: Employees directing traffic received meal vouchers instead of wages; $235 ordered as back pay to seven workers.
• Franchise identified: Good Name 22:1 LLC, Chick‑fil‑A in Hendersonville, N.C.

Richard Blaylock, district director for the Wage and Hour Division in Raleigh, emphasized the agency’s focus on protecting young workers and ensuring employees are paid properly. He reminded employers that restrictions on minors exist to protect their health, safety and schooling, and that wages must be paid in lawful form.

Regulations that bar minors from hazardous tasks include prohibitions against operating power‑driven machinery, working in meat processing, driving motor vehicles and other high‑risk activities—categories that explicitly encompass trash compactors.

The DOL’s announcement also referenced a separate case in Tampa, Fla., where a franchise was cited for allowing 17 employees aged 14 and 15 to work past 7 p.m. and exceed three hours of work on school days—another example of how child labor provisions are being enforced across the country.

Practical implications for restaurant operators are clear: routine job assignments and informal pay practices can trigger enforcement and financial penalties. Employers uncertain about federal wage and hour rules are advised to seek guidance before assigning tasks to younger workers or substituting non‑monetary compensation for wages.

How to act if you’re affected or unsure:

• Employers can call the Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-4-US-WAGE for compliance guidance.
• Workers may use the same number to confidentially report violations; assistance is available in more than 200 languages.
• Review employee schedules, task assignments and pay methods to ensure minors are not assigned hazardous duties and that all wages are paid in legal tender.

Fox News Digital sought comment from Chick‑fil‑A corporate; at the time of publication, the company had not responded.