State of Wisconsin Demands $1 Million from Burger King for Startling Reason

The state of Wisconsin — known for cheese and the Green Bay Packers — may soon be known for something else: Taking legal action against a Burger King franchise operator and seeking $1 million in penalties.

According to Fox Business, a Wisconsin-based Burger King franchisee is being sued over more than 1,600 alleged child labor law violations.

State officials called the case the “largest determination of child labor and wage payment violations in modern Wisconsin history.”

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) says Cave Enterprises Operations LLC — an Illinois-based company that operates 105 Burger King locations in Wisconsin — allegedly committed at least 1,656 violations of state child labor and wage payment laws during a two-year period ending in January 2025.

What Child Labor Laws Did Wisconsin Burger King Locations Allegedly Break?

According to the DWD, the alleged violations impacted more than 600 minors.

DWD investigators say 593 employees ages 14 and 15 were allowed to begin work without the required child labor permits.

627 minor employees also worked shifts of six hours or longer without receiving legally required meal breaks.

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According to investigators, hundreds of additional employees under age 16 also worked outside permitted hours or exceeded legal limits set for school-age workers.

Read More: Burger King Listening to Customer Complaints and Making a Change

It raises concerns about teens showing up to school exhausted after working late-night shifts the evening before.

Where Does the $1 Million Dollars from Burger King Go?

Cave Enterprises must pay $237,437.29 in unpaid regular wages, overtime wages and penalty wages directly to the affected underage employees.

According to DWD, workers may also be entitled to liquidated damages of up to 200 percentage of lost wages under state law.

In addition to wages owed to employees, the agency is also seeking civil penalties totaling up to $828,000 — calculated at $500 per violation — which would bring the company’s total potential payment to more than $1 million.

What Happens if Burger King Doesn’t Pay The Fines?

If Cave Enterprises fails to make the requested payments on time, DWD says it will pursue enforcement through the Wisconsin Department of Justice. A court would then determine the final penalty amount if the state prevails.

In other words, the final total could end up being higher, lower or remain the same, depending on the court’s ruling.

State officials also warned that any future violations of child labor laws could result in additional penalties.