Auburn Jack In The Box Fined $68,000 For Overworking Minors

AUBURN, WA — The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries is fining the owners of an Auburn Jack in the Box $68,800 for mistreating several teenage employees.

In Washington, teenage employees can only work a limited number of hours per week, which fluctuates depending on if school is in session. According to L&I, the Auburn Jack in the Box on A Street Southeast assigned six teens to work more than they legally could, over 260 different times between June 1 and November 1 2019. The restaurant also refused to give teenage employees their legally required meal breaks or rest breaks at least 400 times in that same period.

The restaurant's owners, Northwest Food Management Group Inc., of Kirkland, are being fined $68,800 for the infractions. Northwest Food Management Group owns 28 restaurants in Washington and had already been fined $32,250 for two other citations at a Jack in the Box they run in Kent. According to L&I, those citations also involved the company illegally overworking minors.

All together, that means the company's fines total more than $100,000, which Labor and Industries says is one of the highest fines they've ever issued for youth employment law violations.

“We’ve explained the law, and we’re willing to provide training again to the company and its site managers,” said L&I youth employment specialist Josie Bryan. “The laws requiring meal and rest breaks help prevent teen injuries.”

Last year at least 673 children aged 17 or younger were injured on the job in Washington state.