Two 10-year-old kids have been working unpaid shifts in a McDonald's restaurant in Kentucky till 2am, an investigation has discovered.

The US Department of Labour (DoL) mentioned the kids, who haven't been named for authorized causes, ready and served meals at a Louisville outfit of the quick meals chain.

The DoL added that Bauer Food, LLC, a Louisville-based operator of 10 McDonald's franchise places throughout two states, employed the kids.

Both kids have been found to have labored the money register and drive-thru, and generally cleaned the flooring, with one little one even allowed to function the deep fats fryer.

They have been additionally not paid for his or her shifts, which might generally go on till 2am, the investigation discovered.

The kids additionally had entry to "dangerous equipment", banned for workers beneath the age of 16.

Bauer Food franchise proprietor Sean Bauer advised CBS News that the kids have been visiting their mum or dad, who works on the restaurant as an evening supervisor.

He mentioned the kids weren't accepted to be in that a part of the premises by franchisee organisation administration, including that any work the kids did was on the path of their mum or dad.

Mr Bauer additionally mentioned that the corporate has labored to verify the coverage concerning kids visiting dad and mom and guardians at work is evident to all staff.

Furthermore, three franchisees that personal greater than 60 McDonald's places in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland and Ohio, have been discovered to have "employed 305 children to work more than the legally permitted hours and perform tasks prohibited by law for young workers," the DoL mentioned in a press release.

"Investigators from the department's Wage and Hour Division found two 10-year-old workers at a Louisville McDonald's restaurant among many violations of federal labor laws committed by three Kentucky McDonald's franchise operators," the DoL mentioned in a news launch.

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"Investigators also determined two 10-year-old children were employed - but not paid - and sometimes worked as late as 2am."

It added that the three franchisees face a mixed $212,754 (£169,788) in civil cash penalties over the kid labour violations.

Karen Garnett-Civils, the company's wage and hour division district director, mentioned: "Too often, employers fail to follow the child labour laws that protect young workers.

"Under no circumstances ought to there ever be a 10-year-old little one working in a fast-food kitchen round sizzling grills, ovens and deep fryers."