Louisville, Ky. - According to a Labor Department investigation of franchisees in Kentucky, 300 children, including two 10-year-olds, were found to have worked illegally at McDonald's restaurants.

The Labor Department discovered that two 10-year-olds at a McDonald's branch in Louisville received inadequate or no compensation for their work, according to investigators. The franchisee responsible for the Louisville location was one of three McDonald's franchisees fined a total of $212,000 by the department.

Bauer Food LLC, which manages 10 McDonald's restaurants in Louisville, was found to have hired 24 minors under the age of 16 and allowed them to work more hours than legally permitted, including the two 10-year-old children who sometimes worked as late as 2 a.m. but were not paid.

On Tuesday, the Labor Department stated that the underage children performed tasks such as preparing and serving food orders, cleaning the restaurant, working at the drive-thru, and operating the cash register, all of which are below the minimum age requirement for employment. The agency also noted that one of the children was allowed to operate a deep fryer, a task prohibited for workers under the age of 16.

In response to the Labor Department's statement, franchise owner-operator Sean Bauer claimed that the two 10-year-olds mentioned were not employees but were visiting their parent who worked as a night manager. He stated in a prepared statement on Wednesday that any tasks performed by the children were done under the direction and supervision of their parent, and without the authorization of the franchise organization's management or leadership. Bauer also indicated that they have reemphasized the child visitation policy to their staff.

The Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division is continuously working to prevent child labor abuses in the Southeast, as demonstrated by the Kentucky investigations. Federal child labor regulations impose rigorous limitations on the types of jobs minors can undertake and the number of hours they can work.

Director Karen Garnett-Civils of the Wage and Hour Division expressed concern that employers frequently neglect to comply with child labor laws that safeguard young workers. She stated that it is unacceptable for a 10-year-old child to be working in a fast-food kitchen around dangerous equipment such as hot grills, ovens, and deep fryers.

The Labor Department also revealed that Archways Richwood LLC, located in Walton, and Bell Restaurant Group I LLC, based in Louisville, allowed 14- and 15-year-old minors to work beyond the legally permitted hours. While Archways Richwood did not respond to a request for comment, Bell Restaurant Group's parent company, Brdancat Management Inc., declined to provide a statement on the matter.

Tiffanie Boyd, the spokeswoman for McDonald's USA, expressed disappointment and concern over the reports, describing them as unacceptable and in conflict with the company's high standards. She emphasized the company's dedication to providing franchisees with the necessary tools to establish a safe work environment for all employees and comply with all labor laws.