(WFRV) – Recently, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) reportedly uncovered more than 1,656 violations of the state’s child labor and wage payment laws from an LLC that operates 105 Burger King franchises in Wisconsin.
In a release sent out Friday morning, Gov. Tony Evers stated that it is “the largest determination of child labor and wage payment violations in modern Wisconsin history,” and demanded accountability for the violations that reportedly affected over 600 kids.
The alleged violations by Cave Enterprises Operations LLC, which operates the 105 Wisconsin Burger King franchises, reportedly happened during a two-year span that ended in January 2025.
Historic location in Green Bay announces closure with building up for sale
According to DWD, Cave Enterprises must pay unpaid regular wages, overtime wages, and penalty wages to impacted workers, and also must immediately come into compliance with Wisconsin’s Employment of Minors laws and related regulations.
Here in Wisconsin, we have a proud history of making sure workers are treated with dignity and respect, and that’s especially true when it comes to our kids. We have a responsibility to make sure kids who are working are protected from exploitation, predatory employer practices, and being subjected to hazardous or illegal working conditions, and that’s a responsibility we must take seriously. After years of Republican lawmakers working to get rid of Wisconsin’s basic child labor law protections, I’m proud my administration is working to do the opposite by making sure bad actors are held accountable for taking advantage of kids in the workplace. I want to thank the folks at the DWD for their hard work to investigate and bring these individuals to justice, so these kids receive the compensation they deserve, and we can prevent this from happening to our kids in the future. My administration and I are committed to cracking down on fraud and abuse impacting Wisconsin workers, most especially our kids, and we will continue this good work to ensure our laws are working for the folks and families we serve.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers
The investigation into Cave Enterprises was opened by DWD’s Equal Rights Division after a review of department records allegedly revealed 33 separate child labor and wage payment complaints against individual franchises from 2020 to 2023.
Wisconsin clothing supplier to close, laying off 46 employees
“Enforcing Wisconsin’s labor laws and protecting workers’ rights is core to the mission of DWD, and today’s determination helps us to advance in that mission to better serve the people of Wisconsin,” said DWD Secretary Amy Pechacek.
The DWD’s investigation alleged the following violations:
- 593 employees aged 14 and 15 were allowed to begin work without a child labor permit
- 627 minor employees worked shifts of six hours or more without the meal break mandated under Wisconsin law
- Hundreds of minor employees under age 16 worked before or after allowed hours or worked more hours than permitted for school-age workers
More information about how to file a claim with the Equal Rights Division can be found here.
