Four Utah Crumbl Cookies franchises in violation of child labor laws

Photo: Crumbl Cookies in Heber City. Photo: Townlift // Will Scadden

UTAH – The U.S. Department of Labor has conducted a federal investigation on the violation of child labor laws by Crumbl Cookies, a Utah-based franchise network of cookie bakeries. The investigation found 11 operators in violation of child labor laws.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found violations affecting 46 workers at Crumbl locations in California, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington. Violations ranged from employing minor-aged employees to work longer and later than the time the law allows to assigning others to operate potentially dangerous ovens and machinery.

“Employers must ensure that part-time employment does not jeopardize the safety or education of young workers,” explained Wage and Hour Division Regional Administrator Betty Campbell in Dallas. “It is the responsibility of every employer who hires minor workers to understand child labor laws and comply with them or potentially face costly consequences.”

The franchises in violation of child labor laws include four franchises in Utah, including the Bountiful, Centerville, Layton, and Ogden. All franchises were penalized, and the Bountiful location was assessed over $7,400 in fines. Nine minors were affected in Bountiful, five in Centerville, three in Layton, and one in Ogden.

The division assessed $57,854 total in penalties to all franchises in violation of child labor laws nationwide.

Whether school is in session or not, 14- and 15-year-old workers cannot work more than eight hours per day or exceed 40 hours per workweek. In addition, employers must not allow these workers to work before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on any day, except from June 1 through Labor Day, when nighttime work hours are extended to 9 p.m. All workers under the age of 18 are banned from occupations considered hazardous by federal law.

Crumbl announced last week in a LinkedIn post that co-founder and former COO Sawyer Hemsley would be transitioning to the role of Chief Brand Officer after serving as COO for the past five years. The company did not disclose the reason behind the staffing change.