The Oakland location was shut down by Popeyes on Thursday. Scott Olson/Getty Images
- Teenage workers at a Popeyes in Oakland, California, filed complaints with the state Department of Labor.
- A former employee said she had to skip school after being asked to work a week shift.
- Popeyes closed the franchisee-run business and launched an investigation into the claims on Thursday.
A California Popeyes restaurant was shut down by the company after teenage employees filed complaints alleging the restaurant violated state child labor laws by operating long hours and late shifts.
Protesters rallied outside the Oakland store on Thursday as workers began a strike over complaints that underage employees were being asked to skip school for shifts and work after 11 p.m., the Washington Post reported.
California labor laws state that persons under the age of 18 cannot work more than four hours on a school day, nor can they work after 11 p.m
At the protest, 17-year-old cashier Johmara Romero spoke about her own experiences on the ground and blamed a demanding work schedule for her poor performance at school.
“Once I was working until 11 p.m. on a school night and was late for school the next morning because I overslept,” Romero wrote in a statement from the Los Angeles Times. “Once they called me to work at noon on a school day even though school is until 2:30 p.m. because they were understaffed, so I skipped school that day.”
At some point, Romero said, she began to have doubts about graduating from high school alongside the job.
She told the LA Times, “I fell behind. I didn’t get enough sleep. I got frustrated. I don’t like falling behind in school. I would wonder if I would graduate because of my grades.”
As a result of the allegations, Popeyes closed the store and launched an investigation into complaints filed with the California Department of Labor.
Popeyes did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment outside of normal business hours, but a representative told The Washington Post, “We will not tolerate a violation of labor laws and if any of these allegations are proven to be true, we will take action.” .” Franchisee.”
Other fast-food chains have also violated child labor laws in recent months. The Department of Labor investigated McDonald’s locations in Kentucky and Pennsylvania for allegedly employing workers as young as 10.
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