Massachusetts. AG Campbell reached a $244,000 settlement with Shake Shack over child labor violations.

The Bay State’s top cop has reached a six-figure settlement with fast food chain Shake Shack for violating child labor laws.

The company, which has its roots in a hot dog stand in New York’s Madison Square Park, has agreed to pay $244,500, with $122,250 covering fines and the remaining $122,250 going to a fund that provides education and welfare compliance with state labor laws, the attorney general said. Andrea J. Campbell’s office said in a statement.

Between January and December 2022, the chain, which has 15 stores in Massachusetts, failed to obtain valid operating permits for minors, according to Campbell’s office.

The chain also assigned minors to work illegal hours and exceeded the state’s 48-hour workweek for these employees.

More than 200 employees were harmed as a result of the violations, according to Campbell’s office.

“Our child labor laws protect vulnerable young people as they enter the workforce to gain skills, give back to their communities and earn their own money,” Campbell said in a statement from her office.

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“I appreciate Shake Shack’s willingness to work with my office to address these issues, and I am grateful that they will make a significant contribution to improving employment opportunities for youth in the Commonwealth,” she said.

Sheik Sheik could not immediately be reached for comment for this story.

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The settlement announced Tuesday marks the second time Campbell’s office has accused the company of child labor violations.

The company reached a settlement with the state over child labor violations in 2019, in which it agreed to pay a $90,000 fine, Campbell’s office said.

Campbell said her office began its latest investigation after receiving a complaint that underage employees at Shake Shack’s Woburn were forced to work beyond legal hours.

Campbell’s investigation found child labor violations at 12 Shake Shack locations in Andover, Boston, Burlington, Cambridge, Chestnut Hill, Dedham, Everett, Hingham, Somerville, Watertown and Woburn.

The network “cooperated fully with the AGO’s investigation and took steps to comply with the law,” Campbell’s office said.

Massachusetts is not alone in combating such violations.

A Washington Post investigation earlier this year found that fast-food chains were “fueling a surge in child labor violations” across the country.

Child labor violations have more than tripled over the past decade, and food service violations have increased nearly sixfold, according to The Post’s analysis.

Violations were more common at franchised locations than at non-franchised locations such as Shake Shack, the newspaper’s analysis found.

Massachusetts labor laws place a number of restrictions on the types of work minors can perform and the hours they can work, Campbell’s office said in a statement.

Employers are also required by law to obtain a “Youth Employment Permit” for all workers aged 18 years or younger.

Employers can find more information about permits and legislation on this website.

Campbell’s office also compiled a child labor violation prevention fact sheet related to preventing the exploitation of child labor.