Dive Brief:
- More than half of workers in the food industry, from farming to processing and beyond, said they "always" or "frequently" go to work when they're sick, according to findings from a recent survey commissioned by Alchemy. Another 38% admitted that they "sometimes" go to work sick.
- Nearly half of surveyed workers said they go to work sick because they "can't afford to lose pay," and slightly more said they "don't want to let co-workers down."
- What's concerning is that "the vast majority of reported cases of norovirus — the leading cause of foodborne disease outbreaks and illnesses across the country — have been linked to infected food industry workers," NPR reported.
Dive Insight:
These numbers could peg food industry workers as irresponsible, but many of these workers don't always have much of a choice based on their own personal living situations.
One issue is the number of paid sick days these workers have available to them, which can be few to none in many cases. According to a 2012 study, nearly four out of five food workers either didn't have paid sick days or weren't sure if they did.
Another issue in the industry is low wages. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that many of the lowest-paying jobs in the U.S. are in the food industry. Higher wages could offer more flexibility to workers who wouldn't feel as pressured about taking a sick day off. Workers also worry about consequences of missing a day of work, which could include reprimanding or firing.