--- title: "Schneider: Food workers pressed to show up, readers say" date: 2007-12-26T22:58:00-08:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/schneider-food-workers-pressed-to-show-up-readers-say" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Case News](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news) / # Schneider: Food workers pressed to show up, readers say Published February 16, 2006 \[ From the Lansing State Journal \] The norovirus outbreak at Carrabba's Italian Grill in Delta Township inspired another outbreak - of restaurant workers, as well as their friends and relatives, eager to tell me why what happened at Carrabba's was bound to happen somewhere. Many, in fact, expressed surprise that it doesn't happen more often. The reason most often cited: strong disincentives for restaurant workers to stay home when they're sick. In other words: no work, no pay. "What happened at Carrabba's could occur at any of our local eateries," wrote Karen Sutliff of Lansing. "Not because their kitchens are not clean, not because they don't follow all of the safety standards, but because sick employees report to work." A Carrabba's employee infected with the norovirus worked Jan. 28 and Jan. 29. More than 400 people who ate at the restaurant that weekend became ill. Sutliff's e-mail continued: "There is no excuse for jeopardizing the health of another, but I suspect it was not intentional. "I also work in the service industry, and I know that there is an internal peer pressure to report to work even when you are ill, not to mention that a day without pay can be crucial for some families. "I think the public needs to understand and accept the fact that this could happen anywhere, even with all of the safety standards in place." Food for thought Many of the people I've heard from don't want their names used, for fear it would jeopardize their jobs or the jobs of others. But Sara Shook of Holt was determined to get the word out. In an e-mail, she wrote: "Like most food-service employees, my boyfriend, who works for a prominent East Lansing restaurant, gets no paid 'sick days.' "Also, he has been told specifically that if he didn't get a doctor's excuse to miss work, he could consider himself fired. "The catch is that he's reluctant to go to the doctor because he doesn't have health insurance. How can you expect a part-time cook to pay for full health benefits? "I can tell you he has been to work many times with the flu, fevers and colds, but not sick enough to go to the doctor and pay $80 for a note that says he is contagious. "Many people don't know, or care, about situations like this until a disaster happens." Not uncommon Audrey Weber of East Lansing told me about her daughter, an employee at a local restaurant, being offered three options: • Report for work, despite the fact that she was sick. • Find somebody to cover the shift she would miss. • Seek employment elsewhere. "I offered to work for her," Weber said, "but she did not think I would fit in." The mother added: "I am very sad to say that my daughter and her friends have all worked when they were sick because their boss wouldn't let them go home." Of course, restaurant employees are hardly alone in their inability to draw their pay when they're sick. As the State Journal reported Sunday, only 69 percent of full-time U.S. workers - and 23 percent of part-time workers - get paid sick leave. Responding to my inquiry Wednesday, Andy Deloney of the Michigan Restaurant Association referred to the federal food code, which bans restaurant workers with certain illnesses from duties that would put their customers at risk. What do you think? Call John Schneider at 377-1175, send a fax to 377-1298 or e-mail jschneid@lsj.com. Include your name, phone number, city or township. ### Other Norovirus Lawsuits [240 with Norovirus linked to Sushi Nine](https://marlerclark.com/240-with-norovirus-linked-to-sushi-nine) [Norovirus Outbreak Tied to Illinois Restaurant Monical's Pizza](https://marlerclark.com/norovirus-outbreak-tied-to-illinois-restaurant-monicals-pizza) [CDC now reports Norovirus Oyster Outbreak growing - 192 ill in United States](https://marlerclark.com/norovirus-outbreak-linked-to-raw-oysters-sickens-hundreds) [23 sickened in Norovirus Outbreak linked to Habit Burger Grill in Washington State](https://marlerclark.com/23-sickened-in-norovirus-outbreak-linked-to-habit-burger-grill-in-washington) [Arby's Norovirus Outbreak Sickens Nearly 100 People](https://marlerclark.com/arbys-norovirus-outbreak-sickens-nearly-100-people) [Norovirus Outbreak at Simi Valley Chipotle](https://marlerclark.com/norovirus-outbreak-at-simi-valley-chipotle) [Hartford City Subway Norovirus Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/hartford-city-subway-norovirus-outbreak) [Bob Chinn's Crab House Norovirus Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/bob-chinns-crab-house-norovirus-outbreak) [Valparaiso Jimmy John's Norovirus Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/valparaiso-jimmy-johns-outbreak) ### Lawsuit updates about foodborne illnesses [Reactive Arthritis Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=reactive-arthritis&year=all) [E. coli Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=e-coli&year=all) [Guillain-Barre Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=guillain-barre-syndrome&year=all) [Salmonella Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=salmonella&year=all) [Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=hemolytic-uremic-syndrome&year=all) [Listeria Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=listeria&year=all) [Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=irritable-bowel-syndrome&year=all) [Hepatitis A Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=hepatitis-a&year=all) [Norovirus Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=norovirus&year=all) [Botulism Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=botulism&year=all) [Campylobacter Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=campylobacter&year=all) [Shigella Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=shigella&year=all) [Cyclospora Lawsuit Updates](/news_events/case-news?illness=cyclospora&year=all) ### Lawsuits updates by year [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 1998](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=1998) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 1999](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=1999) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2000](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2000) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2001](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2001) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2002](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2002) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2003](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2003) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2004](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2004) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2005](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2005) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2006](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2006) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2007](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2007) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2008](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2008) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2009](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2009) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2010](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2010) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2011](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2011) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2012](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2012) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2013](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2013) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2014](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2014) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2015](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2015) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2016](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2016) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2017](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2017) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2018](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2018) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2019](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2019) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2020](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2020) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2021](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2021) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2022](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2022) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2023](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2023) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2024](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2024) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2025](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2025) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2026](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2026) ##### Get Help #### Affected by an outbreak or recall? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [Norovirus Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus/about-norwalk) What is Norovirus? When someone talks about having “the stomach flu,” they are probably describing acute-onset gastroenteritis caused by one of the noroviruses, which are members of the “calcivirus” family... ###### [Symptoms and Risks of Norovirus Infection](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus/norwalk-symptoms-risks) Norovirus causes a relatively short, intense illness characterized by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping. The most common symptoms are sudden onset of vomiting and watery diarrhea, although stomach cramps... ###### [How is Norovirus Infection Diagnosed?](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus/norwalk-diagnosis) Norovirus can be detected in an infected person’s stool or vomit through laboratory testing. Diagnosis of norovirus illness is based on the combination of symptoms, particularly the prominence of vomiting... ###### [Treatment for Norovirus Infection](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus/norwalk-treatment) Norovirus typically resolves without treatment; however, dehydration is a concern. Collecting a stool sample and using molecular methods to find viral RNA is the preferred method to test for norovirus... ###### [Preventing Norovirus Infection](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus/norwalk-prevention) Norovirus infection can be prevented through attention to proper sanitation and cooking procedures. The role of food handlers has been documented substantially, highlighting that keeping ill food handlers out of... ##### Outbreak Database #### Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ View Outbreak Database ](https://outbreakdatabase.com)