Food Protection Trends - July/August 2024 - 268

TABLE 7. Management's role and employee awareness of six reportable FBIs
Frequency (n)
%
Management aware of responsibility to notify regulatory authority when an employee has jaundice or is diagnosed with one of the
six reportable FBIs (n = 57)
Yes
No
Frequency of managers monitoring of employee hygiene behaviors (n = 55)
Continuously
Very frequently (throughout the day)
Frequently (several times a week)
Occasionally (at least once a month)
Never
Employee awareness about six reportable FBIs
Employees know six reportable FBIs and symptoms
About half of the employees have knowledge about the six reportable illnesses
Few employees are knowledgeable about the six reportable illnesses
None of the above
(35.6%) (Table 8). Communication (28.9%) and
strategically placed signage that is updated or changed
regularly (24.4%) were also reported as important methods
for prioritizing handwashing. Typified answers from the
respondents revealed that employees receive training on
proper handwashing procedures when they are hired and
thereafter on a semiannual basis. Managers are continuously
trained to monitor handwashing compliance. In addition,
posters outlining handwashing policies are placed at hand
sinks and throughout the kitchen. The percentages were
calculated based on the number of participants who provided
at least one answer (n = 45).
Conditional employees
The findings revealed that more than half of the
participants (61.1%) who have a written employee health
policy reported that conditional employees are familiarized
with the policy and its reporting requirements during
preemployment interviews. Conditional employees are
defined as those who have not yet started working, but who
have an offer for employment. The Food Code (34) specifies
that both current and conditional employees must " report
information about their health and activities as they relate to
gastrointestinal symptoms and diseases that are transmittable
through food. " When looking at industry segment data, a
higher percentage of grocery participants (75%) and C-store
268 Food Protection Trends July/August
52
5
27
19
2
6
1
18
24
7
6
91.2
8.8
49.1
34.5
3.6
10.9
1.8
32.7
43.6
12.7
10.9
participants (60%), compared with restaurant (50%)
participants, reported that conditional employees were
familiarized with written employee health policy during
preemployment interviews.
Paid time off for illness
Regarding paid time off for illness (Table 9), more than
half of the participants (61.8%) indicated that paid sick
leave for non-COVID-related illnesses was offered. Among
those who answered " Yes, " the majority (75.8%) reported
that the incentive is a brand standard regardless of local
requirements, whereas the remaining participants (24.2%)
reported that it is only offered where the law requires it. Of
interest is the breakdown by the industry segment, with the
majority (52.2%) of restaurant participants indicating no
paid sick leave. When sick leave was offered, all segments had
the highest percentage, indicating it was a brand standard (n
= 8, equaling 80% of restaurant participants; n = 7, equaling
77.8% of grocery participants; and n = 9, equaling 81.8% of
C-store participants).
DISCUSSION
This research surveyed the content of employee health
policies and different retail food stakeholders' perceptions
of employee health policy effectiveness in retail food
business operations. Compared with previous research,
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