What should employees do if they experience symptoms of a foodborne illness?

If employees experience symptoms of a foodborne illness, they should report to management and stay home. This action is essential for several reasons. First, foodborne illnesses can easily spread to others, particularly in food safety-sensitive environments such as restaurants and food service facilities. By staying home, employees help prevent the potential contamination of food and protect the health and safety of customers and colleagues.

Additionally, reporting to management ensures that proper protocols can be followed, which may include notifying other staff or taking precautionary measures to prevent further spread of illness. Management is usually trained to handle such situations appropriately, including implementing hygiene procedures, investigating the cause of the symptoms, or managing potential food safety risks.

Continuing to work as usual, drinking fluids while working, or only informing colleagues without notifying management could lead to serious health risks for others in the workplace and compromise public health. Therefore, the correct course of action is to report symptoms to management and remain at home until it is appropriate to return to work.