A Chick-fil-A restaurant in Louisiana is facing criticism over its sold-out summer camp program.
For $35, children enrolled in the program could spend three hours at the fast-food restaurant and receive a kids meal, T-shirt, name tag and snack while participating in various activities, according to Today.
The controversy arose from the activities mentioned in the restaurant’s Facebook announcement, which included “a behind-the-scenes look at Hospitality and Service” and “a fun time getting a behind-the-scenes view of what it’s like to work at America’s favorite quick-service restaurant.”
This post ignited an online debate about child labor.
Mixed reactions from the public
Some users in the comment section of the Facebook announcement criticized the program, suggesting it was a way to train kids for future exploitation.
Despite the backlash, the initial three sessions sold out, prompting the company to add three more.
Some commenters defended the program, arguing it provided children with valuable life skills and insights on work ethic.
“I’ll go against the grain here. Kudos to you, Chick-Fil-A Hammond,” one commenter wrote on the Facebook post. “It’s nice to see an offer to teach young children about work ethic and responsibility, while having a little fun at the same time. I’ll ask my daughter if she’s interested in attending.”
According to Today, representatives of Chick-fil-A said that children participating in the camp would not be engaging in work. They also clarified that the camp was not a corporate program and was a locally driven initiative.
The larger issue of child labor violations
The debate over the Chick-fil-A summer camp touches on the broader issue of child labor laws.
While the camp was marketed as a fun experience for kids to learn about the fast-food industry, it raised concerns about the exploitation of children, a problem the food industry has faced before.
In 2023, two Chick-fil-A locations in Utah were fined $187,000 by the U.S. Department of Labor and ordered to pay $47,000 in back wages for violations involving 14- and 15-year-old employees working beyond permitted hours and being forced to clock out for short breaks, according to KSL.
The case was part of a larger trend, driven in part by restaurants. As previously reported by the Deseret News, there appears to be more child labor law violations occurring in the U.S.
Per The Washington Post, data from the U.S. Labor Department showed that in the first nine months of 2023 approximately 4,700 employed minors were found to have been involved in violation of child labor laws.
The violations stemmed mainly from fast-food franchises like Chick-fil-A, McDonalds and Wendy’s.
In one case, a McDonald’s in Louisville was found by investigators from the U.S. Department of Labor to be employing two unpaid 10-year-olds, who were working as late as 2 a.m.