r/science • u/eastbayted • 2d ago

Health Sick food service workers remain top driver of viral foodborne outbreaks in US

https://www.healio.com/news/gastroenterology/20250331/sick-food-service-workers-remain-top-driver-of-viral-foodborne-outbreaks-in-us
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u/Odin_69 2d ago

And it's not like regulators can just sit around waiting for sick people to show up for work. Yet that is who the industry has decided is in charge of reprimanding the service industry.

The actual workers have no power. Call in too much and you just get less shifts, eventually frozen out, and replaced.

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u/bythog 2d ago

If you're told you are still to work while sick you can inform the health department yourself. An inspector will likely show up and, if they are at all adequate at their job, they'll ream the hell out of the place. Depending on symptoms they can be closed.

Workers have more power than they think.

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u/bkks 2d ago

Workers have always had the power to get themselves fired, I guess. Is that your point here?

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u/Weirfish 2d ago

Unfortunately, using the power they have has a high risk of putting that worker out of a job.

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u/bythog 2d ago

Not using it can and has killed people. People die from foodborne illness daily.

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u/tastyratz 2d ago

Sometimes the "right" thing isn't the accessible thing but a moral position only those with benefits can afford to take.

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u/Weirfish 2d ago

People aren't entirely selfless, altruistic, objective, utilitarian machines, though. It shouldn't be surprising that they pick security against homelessless for themselves and their family, or even security against jail in the case of something like child support, rather than the hypothetical, unrealised health of complete strangers, especially when they're being outwardly coerced by management. It's not a Nuremberg Defense if the person making the order credibly threatens to kill you.