Food Employee Illness Guidelines

In foodservice, maintaining a safe and healthy environment is paramount, not just for customers, but for employees as well. When a foodservice worker falls ill, it can pose significant risks to food safety, customer health, and business reputation. Below we’ll explore the main symptoms to watch for and how to ensure compliance with food safety regulations, while providing clear, actionable steps to prevent the spread illness in commercial kitchens.

Which Symptoms Must Be Reported to a Manager?

When working in foodservice, identifying and reporting illness in employees early is crucial to preventing foodborne illnesses and ensuring a safe dining experience for customers. Certain symptoms can indicate a potential health threat, making it essential for managers and team members to stay vigilant. We’ve outlined a detailed list of key symptoms to watch for, along with signs that may signal a need for immediate action:

• Nausea, Stomach Pain, and Vomiting: These symptoms can be early indicators of gastrointestinal infections, such as norovirus or salmonella. If an employee complains of persistent nausea, vomiting, or abdominal cramps, they should be excluded from handling food to prevent contamination.


• Fever: A fever is often a sign of infection and can accompany illnesses like salmonella, E. coli, or shigella. Employees with a fever exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit should not work with food until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medications.


• Coughing or Sneezing: Respiratory symptoms can spread pathogens through airborne droplets, posing a risk to both food and coworkers. Employees with persistent coughing, sneezing, or sore throats should avoid food preparation areas until symptoms subside.


• Jaundice: Yellowing of the skin or eyes is a hallmark symptom of hepatitis A, a serious foodborne illness. Any employee showing signs of jaundice must be excluded from work and seek medical attention immediately.


• Infected Wounds or Sores: Open wounds, especially on the hands or arms, can harbor harmful bacteria. Employees with infected cuts or sores must cover them with waterproof bandages and wear gloves, or be restricted from handling food if the wound cannot be properly protected.

How Long Should a Sick Foodservice Employee Be Out For?

A sick foodservice employee should be symptom-free for at least 24 hours before returning to work. Many foodborne illnesses, such as norovirus, salmonella, and E. coli, remain contagious even after symptoms appear to subside, so employees may need to wait even longer than a day or get cleared by a medical professional before returning to work. Allowing an employee to return too soon can jeopardize food safety and public health, potentially leading to outbreaks that harm your restaurant’s reputation and operations.

The Big 5 Foodborne Illnesses

The "Big 5" foodborne illnesses are highly contagious and pose significant risks to food safety and public health. For restaurant operators and workers, recognizing the symptoms of these illnesses is critical to guaranteeing that no sick employee handles food.

1. Norovirus: Characterized by vomiting, nausea, and stomach cramps, norovirus is one of the most contagious foodborne illnesses. It spreads through contaminated food, surfaces, or direct contact.
2. Salmonella: This illness often presents with fever, abdominal cramps, and vomiting. Commonly linked to raw or undercooked eggs, poultry, and produce, it can lead to severe dehydration.
3. E. coli (Escherichia coli): Known for causing severe stomach cramps and vomiting, strains of E. coli can cause serious health problems. Employees showing these symptoms must be excluded from work until a healthcare professional clears them to return.
4. Shigella: Marked by fever and stomach pain, shigella spreads quickly through contaminated food or water. Infected employees should stay home until symptoms resolve.
5. Hepatitis A: Identified by jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes), fatigue, abdominal pain, and dark urine, hepatitis A is a serious liver infection. Employees with these symptoms must be excluded until medically cleared.

Recordkeeping Guidelines for Occupational Illnesses

For restaurant operators, maintaining accurate records of occupational illnesses is not just a regulatory requirement, it’s a critical step in ensuring workplace safety and compliance. According to OSHA’s 1904.7(b)(1), certain work-related illnesses and incidents must be documented and reported to regulatory authorities. Proper recordkeeping helps identify potential hazards, improve safety protocols, and protect both employees and the business. There are key guidelines for reporting occupational illnesses, as outlined by OSHA, helping restaurant operators stay compliant and proactive.

• Days Off from Work: If an employee misses work due to a work-related illness, the incident must be recorded. Cases where the employee is unable to perform their regular duties for one or more days due to the illness are included.


• Restricted Work: When an employee’s work activities are limited due to a work-related illness, such as being restricted from handling food or operating equipment, the incident must be documented. All temporary or permanent changes to their job duties due to illness need to be recorded.


• Loss of Consciousness: Any instance where an employee loses consciousness due to a work-related illness, such as exposure to harmful substances or severe dehydration, must be recorded and reported.


• Significant Illness Diagnosed by a Physician: If a physician or other licensed healthcare professional diagnoses a significant work-related illness, such as hepatitis A or respiratory conditions, it must be documented. This includes illnesses that may develop over time due to workplace exposures.


• Transfer to Another Job: If an employee is transferred to a different role or position due to a work-related illness, this must be recorded. This verifies that the impact of the illness on the employee’s ability to work is properly tracked.


• Death: Any work-related fatality must be reported to OSHA within 8 hours of the incident. This includes deaths resulting from illnesses directly linked to workplace conditions, such as severe foodborne infections.

How to Prevent Illness from Spreading to Other Foodservice Employees

Preventing the spread of illness among foodservice employees is just as important as safeguarding customers. When one team member falls ill, the risk of spreading germs to coworkers and food can escalate quickly. To maintain a healthy workplace, restaurants must implement clear guidelines and proactive measures. Below are actions and strategies you can take to guarantee sick employees don’t infect others, helping protect staff and operations:

1. Encourage Sick Employees to Stay Home: One of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of illness is to keep sick employees out of the workplace. Establish a clear sick leave policy encouraging workers to stay home if they exhibit symptoms like coughing or vomiting. Reinforce that their health and the safety of others come first.
2. Practice Frequent Handwashing: Proper hand hygiene is a cornerstone of food safety. Employees should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and warm water for at least twenty seconds, especially after using the restroom, before handling food, and after coughing or sneezing. Place handwashing reminders in visible areas and provide adequate handwashing stations.
3. Cover Coughs and Sneezes: Respiratory droplets can easily spread germs in a busy kitchen. Train employees to cover their mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing. Provide tissues and no-touch trash bins for disposal to minimize contamination risks.
4. Disinfect Shared Surfaces Regularly: High-touch areas like countertops, door handles, and equipment can harbor harmful pathogens. Implement a routine cleaning schedule using food-safe disinfectants to sanitize shared surfaces throughout the day, particularly during peak hours.
5. Educate and Train Staff: Train employees on food safety protocols and preventing illness. Provide clear guidelines on what to do if they feel unwell and how to recognize symptoms that could pose a risk to others.

Foodservice Critical Control Points

Critical control points (CCPs) are specific steps in the food preparation process where hazards can be prevented, eliminated, or reduced to safe levels. These points are a cornerstone of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system, a proactive approach to food safety that helps operators identify and mitigate risks. Monitoring CCPs is essential because it prevents foodborne illnesses, guarantees regulatory compliance, and protects your business’s reputation.

Employee health and hygiene are critical control points, as workers who are ill or fail to follow proper hygiene practices can inadvertently introduce harmful pathogens into the kitchen. Vital steps to addressing these control points include establishing clear policies that require sick employees to stay home and providing thorough training on handwashing, glove use, and personal hygiene. Regularly reinforcing these practices and conducting health checks during shifts helps identify potential risks early. By prioritizing employee health as a CCP, you build a culture of safety that minimizes the risk of contamination and creates a healthier dining experience for customers.

Maintaining a healthy, illness-free environment in the foodservice industry is a shared responsibility that requires vigilance, clear policies, and proactive action. By understanding the signs and symptoms of illness and knowing how to respond, managers and workers can prevent the spread of foodborne illnesses and protect customers and coworkers. Remember, the health of your employees and customers is the foundation of your restaurant’s success. When you follow these guidelines and prioritize food safety, you not only protect public health but also build trust and strengthen your reputation as a responsible foodservice operator.