NEWS BRIEF: Zaxby’s violated child labor laws, feds say

Two of Zaxby’s fast food joints in suburban Atlanta are facing civil penalties for making minors work more hours than is allowed by law. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the restaurants in Lilburn and Grayson had 15-year-old employees working more than 18 hours per week while their schools were in session. Investigators also discovered the teens were operating deep fryers without automatic controls, a violation of child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Additionally, parent company Encore Foods failed to include non-discretionary bonuses in pay packets, meaning employees received a lower rate than the amount required by law. “Those who put workers at risk or shortchange their wages will likely find themselves without the people they need to work,” said Steven Salazar, the department’s Wage and Hour Division director in Atlanta. ajc.com