Illness Response & Reporting
Ohio food safety law — and basic decency — requires that food handlers not work when they are sick with conditions that can be transmitted through food. This is not a gray area. This is not left to your personal judgment about whether you “feel okay enough.”
When You Must Not Come to Work
Do not report to work if you are experiencing any of the following:
- Fever
- Sore throat with cough or fever
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Jaundice (yellowing of skin or eyes)
These are the five reportable symptoms under the FDA Employee Health Policy, adopted by Ohio. A manager who knowingly allows a symptomatic employee to work food prep can face personal liability alongside the company.
If you are not sure whether you are too sick to work, you are too sick to work. Call your manager as early as possible — not 10 minutes before your shift.
What to Do
- Call your manager as early as possible — give them time to find coverage
- Describe your symptoms honestly — you will not be penalized for calling in sick
- Do not return until you have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours (48 hours for vomiting and diarrhea)
- If you were diagnosed with a reportable illness (Norovirus, Salmonella, Hepatitis A, E. coli, Shigella), tell your manager — additional steps may be required before you can return
Exclusion vs. Restriction
Ohio food code uses two different responses depending on the illness:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Exclusion | Must not be in the food establishment at all |
| Restriction | May work but not handle food or food-contact surfaces |
Your manager will make the call on restriction vs. exclusion based on your symptoms. Do not make that decision yourself.
Why This Matters
Norovirus can live on surfaces for days. A single sick employee who works a shift can contaminate dozens of prepared items before anyone realizes what happened. A foodborne illness outbreak linked to a restaurant can trigger a full health department investigation, a mandatory closure, and permanent reputational damage.
The cost to you of missing a shift is real. The cost to a customer of a preventable illness is worse.
If You Get Sick During a Shift
- Tell your manager immediately — do not try to finish the shift
- Stop handling food
- Your manager will decide whether you should leave immediately or finish non-food tasks until coverage arrives
- This is not optional — flagging it early protects everyone