Assessing Employee Health Policies and Practices in Foodservice Establishments

The aim of this study was to investigate current practices in the food industry regarding the development and implementation of food safety management systems, with a focus on employee health policies. Specifically, this study assessed written employee health policies and practices that retail food establishments used to mitigate the risk of foodborne illnesses. Surveys were distributed, and 14% (76/538) of the surveys were returned by senior food safety leaders, representing 336,268 restaurant, grocery, and convenience store outlets. The majority of participants represented larger franchises or chains. Results showed most participants (98.4%) reported having written employee health policies, with most policies based on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Model Food Code and Annex. Most participants (98.3%) agreed that their employee health policy stipulated exclusions and restrictions for food employees based on their health and activities as they relate to diseases transmitted through food; however, fewer (87.7%) policies had provisions for removing such exclusions and restrictions. The survey also revealed the use of novel approaches to promote handwashing and the frequency with which conditional employees are made aware of reporting requirements. Taken as a whole, the survey highlights opportunities to improve employee health policies and increase awareness of reporting requirements for employees in the retail food industry.