How Crumbl Violated Child Labor Laws In 6 States

Crumbl Cookies created a massive following after its stores first opened in 2017. Customers could expect different kinds of cookies each week with creative flavors, and thanks to the owners' marketing prowess and understanding of how to use social media to get noticed, Crumbl enticed cookie lovers. It's no wonder the chain blew up the way it did. While it may seem like a great business on the outside, Crumble has proven to have many issues on the inside. 

In December 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor found the chain to be in violation of child labor laws at locations in California, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington. These violations included workers as young as 14 years old working longer hours than legally allowed and performing tasks that were deemed dangerous for minors. 

The work at Crumbl involves operating dangerous machinery and ovens, and it is illegal for children that young to be employed in an environment considered hazardous. The Department of Labor fined Crumbl $57,854 for the violations that involved 11 locations and 46 young workers. The founders of Crumbl faced backlash following the case, with many former employees even explaining their own poor experiences working at the chain. 

After the incident, Crumbl issued a statement of apology for the misconduct and claimed they would take action to reform these locations. While this violation was a bump in the road for Crumbl, it did not completely destroy the company. The first step to getting the store's negative reputation out of the press was a total rebrand. In November 2023, the chain removed cookies from its name and replaced it with just Crumbl, as well as changed the original logo. They even began to add other dessert options besides cookies, and expanded their menu to include gluten-free choices, a big customer request. This helped to keep the brand relevant after the chaos and kept customers coming back for future visits.

Apart from their apology, it's unclear whether or not Crumbl actually took measures to reform its working conditions going forward. Many former workers have claimed Crumbl to have poor training, bad management, and accusations that burns from the ovens are met with little concern from bosses, per Reddit. With most of these comments being made in recent years, it seems the company hasn't changed much. However, it does state on their website that you must be at least 16 years old to apply, so some reform must have been done within the hiring process. This isn't the first controversy Crumbl has faced, and it likely won't be the last.