Serving While Sick: Germs Spread by Restaurant Workers’ Lack of Healthcare, Paid Time Off

[marmar]

from In These Times:



Serving While Sick: Germs Spread by Restaurant Workers’ Lack of Healthcare, Paid Time Off

Tuesday
October 5
9:22 am

By Micah Uetricht


About 90 percent of resturant workers lack of sick days, employer-provided healthcare, new report says

When choosing a restaurant to patronize, you usually weigh a number of factors: price, style of food, word-of-mouth recommendations, ambiance. But what about your likelihood of catching germs from an ill cook or waitress who could not take a paid sick day?

That probably should be a concern for anyone who eats out, because a new study of restaurant workers around the country reveals some disturbing data: almost two-thirds of restaurant employees have cooked or served food while sick, exposing customers to their illnesses—largely because 87.8 percent of those workers have no paid sick days.

"Serving While Sick" was released last week by the Restaurant Opportunities Center-United (ROC), the restaurant workers' organization covered extensively on this blog. The study was the largest survey of restaurant employees and owners ever conducted, according to ROC, which surveyed 4,323 employees and interviewed 240 employers and 240 employees in eight states. ROC found a large number of what they call "low road" employers—restaurants who, in addition to paying their employees little and giving few opportunities for advancement, offer little or nothing in the way of health benefits or paid time off for illness. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6495/serving_while_sick_germs_spread_by_restaurant_workers_lack_of_healthcare_pa/

[mediaman007]

1. I guess that I would pay a little more for union service!

[DCKit]

2. Twenty five years in food-servive, and rarely a day off for sickness....

You bitches are lucky most "illness" is (was?) caused by chemicals and other allergens.

These days, I'm not so sure.

[xchrom]

3. Recommend

[murray hill farm]

4. During the cold and flu season,

I do my best not to eat in restaurants for this reason because food service employees have no choice but to come to work sick. And people go to restaurants while sick too..and bring in their kids when the kids are sick. Why put yourself in that zone of sick folks if you have a choice.

[arbusto_baboso]

5. This is such common fucking sense that no one should be surprised.

And should I add, it's just one more reason to be nice to your servers?