Oakland Popeyes Accused of Child Labor Violations and Unsafe Work Conditions

Two high school students in Oakland have filed complaints with the California state labor department alleging that their Popeyes franchise employer scheduled them to work long hours that violated child labor laws. The teens claim that they were pressured to skip classes or homework to work past 11 p.m. on school nights, in violation of state child labor laws. Child labor violations have nearly quadrupled since 2015, with many occurring in the fast food and restaurant industries, which have struggled to recover workers that left the industry during the pandemic.