Food Protection Trends - July/August 2024 - 270

TABLE 9. Paid time off for illness by industry segment
Restaurant
(n = 23)
Offer paid sick leave for non-COVID-related illness
n
Yes
No
11
12
%
47.8
52.2
Restaurant
(n = 10)
If paid sick leave is offered for non-COVID, how is it offered
n
%
Only where required by law
Brand standard everywhere, no exceptions
2
8
20
80
Grocery
(n = 13)
n
9
4
%
69.2
30.8
Grocery
(n = 9)
n
2
7
%
22.2
77.8
C-store
(n = 16)
n
11
5
%
68.8
C-store
(n = 11)
n
2
9
n
3
Other
(n = 3)
%
100
(n = 3)
%
18.2
81.8
n
2
1
%
66.7
33.3
Total
(n = 55)
n
34
31.3 - - 21
Other
%
61.8
38.2
Total
(n = 33)
n
8
25
%
24.2
75.8
(30). Also, it is noteworthy that most of the foodservice
entities notified their employees about the sick employee
policies on a regular basis and actively put the employee
health policy into practice. According to data analyzed by
Hoover et al. (14) from 2014 to 2016, 65.8% of restaurants
applied sick employee policies and excluded ill employees
based on their symptoms. In a more recent study (22),
managers who had an outbreak between 2017 and 2019
were interviewed. Among the interviewed managers, 62.4%
(n = 387) reported they had formal written policies and
85.5% (n = 620) of managers indicated that their policy
included restriction or exclusion of ill food workers (22).
Considering the percentage of managers who are aware
of their responsibilities for excluding ill employees and
reporting to a regulatory authority, the manager's role in
employee health may be more visible than before, particularly
given the focus on health with the COVID pandemic.
Because the effectiveness of restricting sick employees has
been shown to be the one of the most critical factors in
preventing foodborne illnesses, relevant policy presence and
implementation appear improved in recent years (9, 14, 22).
The current survey provided insight into compliance
with Food Code guidelines. Although the managerial
role of excluding sick employees is adequately embraced,
this survey reveals that there may be opportunities for
further health policy improvements by including when
restrictions are removed so that employees and managers
alike have a clear understanding of when they may return
to work. Managers who do not know requirements
may permit foodservice employees who no longer have
symptoms, but may still be carrying pathogens, to return
270 Food Protection Trends July/August
to the workplace prematurely. Meanwhile, customers
would still be at risk of foodborne illness. In this sense,
preventing ill employees from working while sick, or not
lifting exclusion restrictions too soon, is imperative to
prevent the spread of foodborne illness.
A majority of participants indicated that their employee
health policy includes provisions for no bare hand contact
with RTE food. Participants also noted several novel
approaches that they used to encourage handwashing and
monitor handwashing practices. Taken together, these
practices illustrate managerial commitment is required to
effectively ensure employee hygiene behaviors (5, 9). This
highlights the importance of comprehensive employee
health policies, monitoring proper handwashing practices,
and avoiding bare hand contact with RTE food as key
components of a well-developed FSMS.
In conclusion, this study analyzed the current status
of employee health policies in retail food businesses.
Although the manager's role has been well acknowledged
compared with previous research results, this research can
provide two takeaways for both employees and managers:
(1) For employees, their responsibility and cooperation
still need to be emphasized; employees are ultimately
responsible for reporting illness and exposure to their
managers. Without this clear and open communication,
managers are limited in their ability to supervise each
employee's health, exposure to illness, hand hygiene, and
other food safety-related behaviors. (2) For managers,
frequent communication to employees regarding health
policy with consistent reinforcement is needed to protect
consumers from becoming ill.
Food Protection Trends - July/August 2024

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