Chipotle is to pay more than $300,000 to settle Washington, DC child labor lawsuit

Chipotle Mexican Grill agreed to pay more than $300,000 to the District of Columbia after allegations that the popular chain violated DC’s child labor laws more than 800 times in the past three years, DC Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb said Monday. Schwalb’s office alleged that Chipotle allowed employees under the age of 18 to work more than eight hours a day, more than 48 hours a week and more than six consecutive days in a work week. Chipotle also allowed kids to work after 10 p.m. A May 2022 investigation into the chain’s 20 Washington DC restaurants found the violations had taken place since April 2020.

As part of the settlement, Chipotle will pay DC$322,400 and agree to a new training and workplace compliance plan, according to prosecutors. However, Chipotle “denies the District’s allegations of violations of child labor laws.” Nothing in this Settlement Agreement shall be or shall be construed as an admission by the Company of any violation of any law or regulation or any other fact or law, or any liability or wrongdoing.

This isn’t the first time Chipotle has been accused of violating state child labor laws. In 2020, the chain paid Massachusetts $1.4 million for 13,253 alleged violations of child labor laws. And in September Chipotle paid New Jersey $7.75 million for “alleged widespread and ongoing violations of the state’s child labor laws,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin described at the time.