LINDON, Utah (ABC4) – Crumbl Cookies, a cookie bakery franchise based in Lindon, Utah, violated child labor regulations in six states, affecting 46 underage workers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor .
A federal investigation into child labor violations found that 11 operators in six states allowed young employees, “many 14- and 15-year-olds,” to work longer than the law allows or in “dangerous or prohibited occupations,” says one. press release.
The US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division reportedly found violations affecting 46 workers at Crumbl Cookies facilities in California, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Utah and Washington. Violations ranged from employing some underage employees to work longer and later than permitted by law, to “assigning others to operate potentially dangerous ovens and machines,” the statement said.
The division would have assessed $57,854 in fines to address the child labor violations.
“Employers must ensure that part-time employment does not compromise the safety or education of young workers,” said Betty Campbell, regional administrator for the division of wages and hours in Dallas. “It is the responsibility of every employer who hires underage workers to understand child labor laws and comply with them or potentially face costly consequences.”
The division completed child labor investigations at Crumbl locations as follows:
| Operator | City | state | Affected minors | penalties |
| Andersen Brentwood Inc. | Brentwood | HERE | 6 | $7,543 |
| Walnut Creek Cookies LLC | concord | HERE | 3 | $3,597 |
| Tri-Valley Treats LLC | Saint Ramon | HERE | 9 | $15,417 |
| Alpine Country Road LLC | Sao Paulo | MN | two | $1,468 |
| Daniel Webster and Silver Dr NH LLC | nashua | NH | 3 | $4,368 |
| Celestial Creations Hixson LLC | hixson | TN | 3 | $1,542 |
| BE Bountiful LLC | abundant | UT | 9 | $7,423 |
| BE Centerville LLC | centerville | UT | 5 | $3,624 |
| Farr Bakeries LLC | layton | UT | 3 | $5,460 |
| SBP Investments II LLC | ogden | UT | 1 | $1,820 |
| Limitless Enterprises LLC | Puyallup | wa | two | $5,592 |
Regardless of education, 14- and 15-year-old workers cannot work more than 8 hours a day or exceed 40 hours a workweek. The Department of Labor states that, in addition, employers “must not permit these workers to work before 7 am or after 7 pm on any day except from June 1 through Labor Day, when night hours are extended to 9 :00h”
All workers under the age of 18 are prohibited from engaging in occupations deemed hazardous by federal law.
Crumbl Cookies currently operates over 600 locations in 47 states.
The news comes after a recent trademark infringement lawsuit filed by Crumbl Cookies against two of its competitors, Dirty Dough and Crave Cookies, alleging that the two franchises copied various elements of Crumbl’s brand, including presentation and weekly flavor rotation.
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In 2022, the Wage and Hour Division found more than 3,800 minors employed in violation of child labor laws, a 37% increase from the previous year. Minors employed in violation of dangerous orders increased by 26% over the same period, with a total of 688 minors working in hazardous occupations.
Crumbl Cookies issued the following statement in response to a request for comment:
“At Crumbl, we are committed to maintaining a safe and welcoming work environment for all of our franchisees and their employees. We take any violation of federal employment laws very seriously. We were deeply disappointed to learn that a small number of our franchises violated these laws.
“We are actively working to understand what occurred at these specific stores and will take appropriate steps to ensure that all of our franchisees are fully compliant with the law. We apologize to all of our franchisee employees who may have been affected by this situation and want to assure the public that we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and compliance at each Crumbl location.”