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The owner of two Levittown-area Wendy’s locations has been accused of more than 700 violations of the Pennsylvania Child Labor Act last year, state officials said on Wednesday.
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GCWen Management was fined $300,000 for violating the Pennsylvania Child Labor Act after Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry investigators found 766 violations of the Pennsylvania Child Labor Act.
The company owns 21 Wendy’s locations across Bucks, Montgomery, and Chester counties, according to state officials.
In Bucks County, GCWen Management operates the Wendy’s on Veterans Highway in Bristol Township, on Plaza Boulevard in Falls Township, on Horizon Boulevard in Bensalem Township, on Main Street in Doylestown Borough, and on North West End Boulevard in Richland Township.
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During the investigation, the following violations were identified by state authorities:
- 432 violations of failure to provide breaks – the business did not provide breaks on or before the 5th hour of work – involving 81 children.
- 18 violations of not securing a work permit – employed a child who did not have appropriate work papers for children hired to fill a position – involving 18 children.
- 98 violations of failure to announce employment or employment change to a school district – business failed to notify a child’s respective school within five days of hiring a child or failed to notify the respective school within five days of termination or resignation that a child left employment – involving 98 children.
- 10 violations of no parent authorization – the business employed a child under the age of 16 without parental authorization – involving 10 children.
- 208 violations of excessive hours worked – the business violated the number of hours a child can work a week – involving 34 children.
According to officials, every Wendy’s location operated by the company in the three counties had at least one violation of the child labor law, which allows for fines up to $5,000 per violation.
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All fines collected from labor investigations are directed to Pennsylvania’s general fund.
The probe into GCWen’s practices was triggered by a tip from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, which reported minor injuries to children at various Wendy’s locations.
After looking into the tip, officials opened an investigation into all the GCWen franchise locations in Pennsylvania.
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As a condition of the settlement, GCWen, which is based in New Jersey, is required to provide state-provided training to all its Wendy’s location management teams on compliance with the Pennsylvania Child Labor Act, officials said.
“Labor and Industry is dedicated to championing the rights of workers through enforcement of Pennsylvania’s labor laws. This commitment extends to vigorously protecting our children from unlawful employment practices,” said Labor and Industry Secretary Nancy A. Walker. “Remember, they are not just workers — they’re our kids — and their safety and rights are paramount. No company should ever put profit over the wellbeing of Pennsylvania’s youth.”
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When reached, a GCWen official said they weren’t aware of the settlement and could not comment.
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