Recently, Chipotle, a Mexican grill fast food restaurant, closed its doors due to an outbreak of E. Coli, an outbreak that could have been prevented through proper health protocols.

Other illnesses often travel through workplaces for similar reasons.

Chelsea Jimmy John’s employee, Maria Camilleri, has been battling walking pneumonia for over a month. Instead of being able to stay home, however, she has had to work because of Jimmy John’s sick day policy, a policy that denies employees sick days unless their shift is covered or they have a doctors note.

Although harsh, this policy relates to the allowance of paid sick leave in Michigan. According to Article 40 which entails the allowance of sick leave, 4 hours of paid sick leave is permitted to employees only after 80 hours of service.

With the recent outbreak of norovirus, a highly contagious flu-like virus, the CDC has released information for food workers about what can be done to prevent the spread of this virus. The CDC notes that people who have norovirus are most contagious when sick with the illness, as well as the first few days after recovery.

Illnesses such as pneumonia and influenza also require people to rest and stay at home in order to prevent spreading illnesses.

However, according to the Department of Labor, there are currently no federal requirements for paid sick leave. The only form of regulated sick leave is the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) which is only available to employees who have worked for their employers for at least 12 months, and have worked at least 1,250 hours for said employer.

For example, six employees of a Jimmy John’s store in Minneapolis were fired in 2011 for exposing the sandwich store’s sick day policy and the reality that food can, and often is, prepared by sick employees who are under the pressure of being fired if they do not go to work.

The National Labor Relation Board (NLRB) ruled reinstatement of the six employees, and said that workers have the right to speak out about their working conditions.
With this knowledge, employees should embolden themselves to take a stance against unfair work conditions.