Qdoba Faces Over $400,000 In Fines For Hundreds Of Alleged Child Labor Law Violations

BOSTON (CBS) – Qdoba is facing $409,400 in penalties for over 1,000 labor law violations in Massachusetts, Attorney General Maura Healey said Wednesday.

The investigation began in March 2018 when a minor complained that she had worked late into the evening at a Qdoba in Newton. Healey's office said it started auditing all 22 Qdoba locations in Massachusetts and found "minors routinely worked in violation of the law."

There were more than 1,000 cases of a minor working after 10:30 p.m. on a school night, Healey said. In nearly 200 instances, a minor worked over 11 hours in a single shift. Healey also said there were 18 times when a minor worked more than 48 hours a week, and Qdoba failed to get work permits before hiring minor employees at least 25 times.

"The company continued to violate the law into May 2019, more than a year after the investigation began," Healey's office said in a statement.

Each violation carries a $250 penalty. Anyone who wants to file a complaint about workplace labor laws should go to this website.