Bojangles franchisee pays over $11,700 for violating child labor laws after fed probe

Bojangles largest franchisee is paying thousands of dollars in penalties and making “sweeping changes” at stores in six states after a federal investigation found child labor law violations.

BOJ of WNC LLC allowed 16 minors to work outside of permitted hours at a Spartanburg, S.C., Bojangles while school was in session, violating the Fair Labor Standards Act, a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation found.

The Bojangles franchise also was assessed a penalty of $11,744 for child labor violations, according to a news release Wednesday from the Department of Labor.

“We responded quickly and put an action plan in place to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” said Allyson Campbell, senior director of marketing for BOJ of WNC.

The franchisee owns 93 Bojangles restaurants in western North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio.

Bojangles franchise makes changes

The federal investigation led BOJ of WNC “to make sweeping changes to enhance working conditions for minor-aged workers and compliance with labor laws,” the Department of Labor said.

“This is an example of how enforcement and compliance assistance can work hand-in-hand, and it serves as a roadmap for other employers to follow to avoid costly violations,” Wage and Hour Division Regional Administrator Juan Coria in Atlanta said in a statement.

Workplace changes include:

▪ Re-training all hiring managers and employees on legal working times and permissible jobs for minors.

▪ Displaying a child labor poster at all locations.

▪ Ensuring 14- or 15-year-old workers’ working times are in compliance with child labor requirements.

▪ Keeping documents that prove birth dates for all minors.

▪ Giving pamphlets to parents of underage workers outlining child labor regulations.

The iconic fast-food chicken-and-biscuit chain was founded in 1977 in Charlotte. Bojangles has 760 company- and franchise-owned restaurants in 14 states. In 2019, the chain was sold to two New York firms, Durational Capital Management and The Jordan Co.