CDC says sick workers are linked to 40% of food poisoning outbreaks

People who showed up to work at a restaurant sick were associated with 40 percent of food poisoning outbreaks with a known cause from 2017 to 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report Tuesday.

Paid sick leave and other measures to support sick workers can improve food safety performance, according to the reportwhich was based on a review of 800 food poisoning outbreaks using data provided by 25 state and local health departments.

The report says that of the 500 outbreaks in which investigators identified at least one cause, 205 of the workers involved were sick. Other common causes included raw food contamination in 88 cases and ingredient cross-contamination in 68 cases.

In 555 outbreaks, researchers were able to determine which virus, bacterium, toxin, chemical, or parasite was responsible. Most outbreaks were caused by salmonellosis p norovirus– the message says.

To combat these outbreaks, the report says, “a comprehensive sick worker policy is likely to be needed.” He drew attention to a study that showed that increased paid sick leave reduced the incidence of sick food service workers at work, and noted that paid sick leave rules were associated with reduced rates of foodborne illness.

Daniel Schneider, professor of social policy at Harvard Kennedy School, called the report “sobering” and stressed that the United States the only rich country no federal paid sick leave.

“Reports like this show the real relevance of this, not only because it is in the interest of the workers, although it is, but also because it is in the interest of society,” said Professor Schneider.

Of 725 managers interviewed by state and local health departments, 665 said their business requires food workers to tell their boss if they are sick, and 620 said sick workers were either restricted or prohibited from working. Fewer than half of managers — 316 — said their business provides employees with paid sick leave.

Professor Schneider is the director shift project, which collects data about people in the retail and food service industries. He said workers said they fell ill because no one could cover for them, they would feel guilty leaving their co-workers without hands, they couldn’t afford to miss work, or they feared retribution from management.

“Food workers face really impossible trade-offs on things like sick work because food service jobs are very underpaid in our economy,” he said.

To prevent workers from coming to work sick in restaurants, food service establishments, and food trucks and carts, businesses may need to better enforce existing policies, such as those that prohibit workers from coming in sick; coming up with plans to stock the restaurant when someone is sick; and implement “a food safety culture that does not penalize sick absenteeism.”

While health departments reporting outbreaks represent “geographically diverse areas,” the report warns that its results may not represent all outbreaks in the US. It also says it is based on information that was collected prior to the coronavirus pandemic and acknowledges evidence that many food retailers have since changed at least some of their policies.

Every year, 48 million people fall ill with foodborne illness. CDC estimates. Of these, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 are dying.