Mass AG Campbell issues citations totaling over $370,000 against Dunkin’ franchisees for numerous child labor violations

BOSTON — Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s office has issued citations totaling over $370,000 against two Dunkin’ franchisees for numerous child labor violations.

“Companies who employ young workers must comply with our child labor laws and provide a safe and fair environment for them,” said AG Campbell. “My office remains committed to protecting the health and well-being of the state’s youngest workers, ensuring their rights are protected, and that companies are complying with the rules we have in place”

Courtney Donuts, LLC d/b/a Dunkin’, along with its Manager Steven Catalano, were issued four citations totaling over $222,000 for failure to obtain valid work permits, employing minors after 8:00 PM without adult supervision, employment of 16- or 17-year-olds for more than nine hours in a day, and employment of minors earlier than the earliest permissible hour of 6 a.m. The owners of Courtney Donuts operate 20 Dunkin’ stores in towns throughout Massachusetts including in Devens, Harvard, Groton, Shirley and Townsend.

Somerset Donut Express, Inc. d/b/a Dunkin’, along with its owners Robert Mongeon and Catherine Mello, were also issued four citations totaling $150,000 for failure to obtain valid work permits, employing minors after 8:00 PM without adult supervision, the employment of 16- or 17-year-olds for more than nine hours in a day, and the employment of minors later than the latest permissible hour of 10 p.m. Somerset Donut Express operates seven Dunkin’ stores in Somerset, Fall River, and Dartmouth.

The AG’s Office began investigating Somerset Donut Express following a complaint that alleged minors were being forced to work in violation of several child labor statutes. The investigation uncovered over a thousand instances in which the state’s child labor laws were violated, affecting hundreds of employees.

Since January 2022, the AG’s Office has issued 32 citations against various owners of several Dunkin’ franchisees. The majority of the citations relate to child labor violations and total over $564,000 in restitution and penalties.

In October 2022, the AG’s Office announced citations issued to the owners of Dunkin’ stores located in Lowell, Worcester, Grafton, Millbury, Westborough, and Leominster, for violations of the child labor laws. In 2021, the AG’s Office also issued citations to a management company and its owner, which operated 10 Dunkin’ locations to resolve similar violations.

Workers who believe that their rights have been violated in the workplace are encouraged to file a complaint online at www.mass.gov/ago/fld. For more information about the state’s wage and hour laws, workers may call the AG’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465 or go to www.mass.gov/ago/fairlabor for materials in multiple languages. 

These matters were handled by Assistant Attorney General Amy Goyer and Investigators Christina Proietti and Kimberly Lampereur, of the AG’s Fair Labor Division.