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AP: Chipotle says employee worked while ill at Va. location

entremet

Member
Why don't we hear about monthly incidences of norovirus at McDonalds or any number of places? It just means that Chipotle's food preparation practices are still a factor here.
McDonalds menu items can survive a nuclear holocaust to be fair.
 

Octavia

Unconfirmed Member
I'm going to guess they have the sick time, they just can't use it because they are constantly getting scheduled on and denied time off, probably due to understaffing to maximize profits. It's the exact same crap I deal with and I have tons of hours banked, I just can't ever use them.

Work culture is stupid as fuck here. I was stuck at work all week with a cold recently. In good conscious I wouldn't have went in, but since I am literally the only employee doing a 3 person job, yeah... Luckily I do not work in food.
 
A lot of minimum wage places give their employees hell for being sick. I remember every time I'd call in sick at Walmart it wouldn't matter how terrible you said you were. Vomiting and ass exploding? "Oh, so you really don't think you could make it through a shit?"

The worst was when I worked at McDonald's back in highschool. I got to work feeling fine, but just got hit suddenly. I ran to the break room and puked in the trash (there was no way I was making it to the bathroom). One manager saw me and told me to go home. Another manager saw me clocking out and asked what was up, the first manager told her I had just puked. She started flipping the fuck out that he would send me home, and how they could find something I was able to do still. Absolute insanity. Last I knew, she was still a manager there, some 15 years later. Fuck ever eating at that place.

One employee infected a hundred people?

That doesn't seem crazy at all. Seems low, at least as far as the potential goes. When I was at McDonalds, we'd serve a couple of hundred people during the lunch rush alone.
 

Nydius

Member
One employee infected a hundred people?

Yeah, it's quite possible. Norovirus is aggressively infectious. Speaking from experience here as my wife and I were hit with it during the Spring 2013 norovirus epidemic. All it took was one patient coming into the dentist office in which my wife worked. The entire office was infected a day later and I caught it by being caregiver as we didn't know, initially, that it was norovirus. E: As an aside, I'd never wish norovirus on anyone, not even my worst enemy. That was the worst week of my life thus far. Thought I was going to die by vomit or shit - all while running a dangerously high fever.
 
I'm going to guess they have the sick time, they just can't use it because they are constantly getting scheduled on and denied time off, probably due to understaffing to maximize profits. It's the exact same crap I deal with and I have tons of hours banked, I just can't ever use them.

Work culture is stupid as fuck here. I was stuck at work all week with a cold recently. In good conscious I wouldn't have went in, but since I am literally the only employee doing a 3 person job, yeah... Luckily I do not work in food.
The place I work has 100 hours per week that we are not even using. Understaffed is a severe understatement. We are running a literal skeleton crew. Closing duties are enough work for 3 people, and thats without serving customers. If someone calls in, one person is left to do those duties, along with serving customers. Hence, no one calls in, because it is impossible to get the work done otherwise.
 

Meowster

Member
At my old job at Sears, if you called in sick more than three times during a six month period, you would be fired. Luckily my new job gives me a lot of sick hours and leave time and we can use it whenever and wherever without approval. It's so much nicer lol.
 
I mean, if it's really ONE employee...why doesn't this happen at all the other fast food chains? Wouldn't we be hearing it about it way more? I can't remember the last time I heard about something like this happening at McDonalds, Carls Jr, Burger King, etc.

Yet it seems to keep happening to Chipotle.

Just not really sure I'm buying their response still...
 

HotHamBoy

Member
No shit. Sick days aren't allowed in America

Yup. Good fucking luck. I've worked in the food industry on and off for years and you rarely ever have an option to stay home when you are sick. A lot of places even expect employees to find their own replacements, which is nearly impossible when you work with younger people who don't want to be at work.

Leave the staff short for the night and risk your job or work with food while ill and get paid?

Hmm.
 
They introduced metrics and promoted a results oriented approach and wonder why shit goes sideways.
Lol. There are ways to promote good work environments and monitor how well you are doing. It's how you use the metrics that matters not that you introduce them. In fact, if you can't measure success or failure you are neither.
 

kirblar

Member
I mean, if it's really ONE employee...why doesn't this happen at all the other fast food chains? Wouldn't we be hearing it about it way more? I can't remember the last time I heard about something like this happening at McDonalds, Carls Jr, Burger King, etc.

Yet it seems to keep happening to Chipotle.

Just not really sure I'm buying their response still...
e.Coli's been the issue previously with multi-store outbreaks. That's likely a supply chain issue.

When it came out what happened, a sick employee was the obvious cause.
 
Here's a fun thing: I've had multiple bosses tell me that if I'm calling in sick I need to bring in a doctor's note.

God damn, is that legal?

Like, just because I have the flu and am throwing up doesn't mean I run to the doctor.

Some of you guys had some strange bosses. I never had one that strict with shit like that when it came to calling in sick.
 

shira

Member
Why don't we hear about monthly incidences of norovirus at McDonalds or any number of places? It just means that Chipotle's food preparation practices are still a factor here.
Processed and deep fried food are very different from fresh ingredients.

There's a reason McDonald's food is the way it is.
 
Looks like the US never got rid of slavery, they just extended it to all races. If I get food served or prepared by a sick person that's the last time I eat there. Between debt (for freaking education, that should be free like in every civilized country) and non-existant health care (deductibles, really?) and lack of holidays I wonder why there is no mass exodus. Y'all should move to Europe for a decent life with no fear.

Because we have politicians here calling you guys the European Nightmare in comparison to the American Dream and a good portion of the population eat it up.


My contribution is the story of when I called in sick once to my job. When I came back in to work after I was better my boss pulled me aside and said not to get sick again because to be sick means you were weak and he didn't employ weak people. Just used dayquil every time I got sick after that.
 
e.Coli's been the issue previously with multi-store outbreaks. That's likely a supply chain issue.

When it came out what happened, a sick employee was the obvious cause.

Right, that's my point. You don't find it strange that at the literally THOUSANDS of other fast food chains...no employee has gotten customers sick lately like with Chipotle? If a sick employee could really get this many people sick, wouldn't we be hearing about something like this much more often?
 

NewFresh

Member
Had a feeling this was it. From the other thread.

This conspiracy stuff is weird. You can transmit Norovirus from person to person incredibly easily. It can make its way onto the food on clothes, hands, gloves, etc. if the proper procedures aren't in place.

It can also be present for days after the person no longer feels severe symptoms. So an employee could have it, take a day off, feel slightly better, come in and not wash his hands, and then you have it.

Also, it's transmitted through feces and vomit, not just feces. No real need for this elaborate plan. Just better training.
 

Phu

Banned
Sick days usually means either all your shit just piles up and you have to stress the fuck out trying to get caught up or management deems you 'unreliable' or 'disloyal' and work gets permanently shittier from that point onward.
 

Aselith

Member
Looks like the US never got rid of slavery, they just extended it to all races. If I get food served or prepared by a sick person that's the last time I eat there. Between debt (for freaking education, that should be free like in every civilized country) and non-existant health care (deductibles, really?) and lack of holidays I wonder why there is no mass exodus. Y'all should move to Europe for a decent life with no fear.

Until the death panels come for you!
 

Nydius

Member
Here's a fun thing: I've had multiple bosses tell me that if I'm calling in sick I need to bring in a doctor's note.

I did not have health insurance.

Loooooool.

Know how that goes, except my case I actually did have health insurance. Right after I was initially diagnosed with IBD, I had a meeting with my supervisor and manager and told them what was going on and that I'd likely miss some time as the doctor was getting tests done and adjusting medications. Manager requested a singular note from the doctor confirming the diagnosis and said I'd never need to provide another note for appointments related to the GI doctor. Did as I was asked.

Got fired a few months later by the same manager for "failure to provide consistent doctor documentation for missed work time".
 
God damn, is that legal?

Like, just because I have the flu and am throwing up doesn't mean I run to the doctor.

Some of you guys had some strange bosses. I never had one that strict with shit like that when it came to calling in sick.
That is company policy where I work. A doctor's note is required for more than one day of illness. Of course, the company doesnt provide health insurance to employees unless they are designated 'full time' regardless of the amount of hours they work per week. So, you can only call in sick if you can see a doctor to get a note, but you cant go to the doctor because you dont have insurance, so...you dont call in.
 
Had a feeling this was it. From the other thread.

I don't understand. You think the problem is 'training?'

Like as in...Chipotle didn't 'train' their employees not to throw up or put feces near the food?

I have to believe this goes deeper than that consider how often this is happening to them...
 

old

Member
Paid sick days at a fast food place for low wage hourly workers?

That sounds like one of those PR rules that only on the books theoretically. Like it's there to cover their ass in a case like this to make them look good. But in practice no one ever actually receives it and if somehow you do you get fired immediately.
 

poodaddy

Member
Companies can say there's paid sick days as much as they want but the truth is you're looked at like a shit bag if you use them. The company's reaction to call ins is probably toxic as fuck, that's why people work when they're sick. The problem is American work culture and the shaming of others who don't wish to work when they're sick or hurt.
 

VariantX

Member
That is company policy where I work. A doctor's note is required for more than one day of illness. Of course, the company doesnt provide health insurance to employees unless they are designated 'full time' regardless of the amount of hours they work per week. So, you can only call in sick if you can see a doctor to get a note, but you cant go to the doctor because you dont have insurance, so...you dont call in.

Good luck becoming a full time employee to having access to that insurance as likely they do every damn thing to make sure everyone outside of managment is either part-time or a temp.
 
God damn, is that legal?

Like, just because I have the flu and am throwing up doesn't mean I run to the doctor.

Some of you guys had some strange bosses. I never had one that strict with shit like that when it came to calling in sick.

The US has incredibly weak workers rights. And to fight violations is extremely time consuming and expensive.
 
Know how that goes, except my case I actually did have health insurance. Right after I was initially diagnosed with IBD, I had a meeting with my supervisor and manager and told them what was going on and that I'd likely miss some time as the doctor was getting tests done and adjusting medications. Manager requested a singular note from the doctor confirming the diagnosis and said I'd never need to provide another note for appointments related to the GI doctor. Did as I was asked.

Got fired a few months later by the same manager for "failure to provide consistent doctor documentation for missed work time".

Did you bring a lawsuit against them? Jesus, this shit sounds ripe for one.
 

whytemyke

Honorary Canadian.
They didn't do this before?

Fuck off Ells, you had your chance. Obviously the managers are not properly giving time off to sick employees. There's systemic issues in the company that they just haven't fixed.
It's one store out of what, 2200? They had 99.96% of their stores all set. I don't think you can blame systemic malfeasance for a statistical anomaly.
 
Right, that's my point. You don't find it strange that at the literally THOUSANDS of other fast food chains...no employee has gotten customers sick lately like with Chipotle? If a sick employee could really get this many people sick, wouldn't we be hearing about something like this much more often?

Like someone else already said, cooking/frying/heating foods can eliminate a lot of the things that can make people sick. Chipotle dealing with so many fresh ingredients that aren't being cooked (or are handled a lot after they're cooked) makes them more susceptible to transmitting illness.
 
The US has incredibly weak workers rights. And to fight violations is extremely time consuming and expensive.

Yeah, I understand, I've worked in a major city my whole life. I guess I've just been lucky in avoiding jobs that are this terrible to their employees, even though I've worked some shit jobs.
 
Good luck becoming a full time employee to having access to that insurance as likely they do every damn thing to make sure everyone outside of managment is either part-time or a temp.
That is exactly what they do. In fact in my department, which employs 20 people, there are only 6 full time designated employees, 3 of which are supervisors and 2 who have been with the company 20+ years. Everyone else works (aside from me) effectively works 40 hours a week but is not considered full time, and thus they do not receive benefits.
 

old

Member
Here's a fun thing: I've had multiple bosses tell me that if I'm calling in sick I need to bring in a doctor's note.

I did not have health insurance.

Loooooool.

I want to add to to this. Some years back I didn't have health insurance but had a medical crisis and needed to see a doctor. Not immediately life threatening but still needed to see a doctor urgently.

I was turned down by numerous doctor offices. I told them I had the money to pay for the visit. They refused. They didn't accept patients without insurance. Period. No amount of cash would let me schedule an appointment if I wasn't insured.

So when Americans say they "don't have insurance" it can often by synonymous with "not having access to health care" because many doctors flat out refuse to see uninsured patients.
 

sojour

Member
Most places, especially restaurants, only hire the minimum amount of people to operate the place. So, yea, they always give you crap about taking sick leave or have extenuating circumstances that doesn't allow you to come in.
 
Like someone else already said, cooking/frying/heating foods can eliminate a lot of the things that can make people sick. Chipotle dealing with so many fresh ingredients that aren't being cooked makes them more susceptible to transmitting illness.

Exactly what I'm saying -- it's not just 'an employee got sick' but more like 'because of the way we prepare our meals, a sick employee contaminated the food.'

Except that's not what they are saying...which is the whole point about them coming off as dishonest.
 
I'd love to see every company, every single one, close down because they don't treat employees like human beings. I'd love it, and would not care how many business went under. The government would be forced to extend unemployment and fix the issues. I don't know how they would do it, and don't care since it isn't my job, but they would be forced to do it or be overtaken.

And it makes no sense, if your profit margin is so low that you can't afford to hire 1 or 2 extra employees at $7.25 an hour with no insurance then fuck your company. It is a failure.

I know I'll get heck saying for this though.
 

Nydius

Member
Did you bring a lawsuit against them? Jesus, this shit sounds ripe for one.

I wish.

I didn't even get approved for state Unemployment Benefits because when they interviewed my former employer during the course of the application the employer said I was fired "for cause" (the cause being too much missed time). I appealed with the Virginia Employment Commission but because it was my word against theirs, my appeal was denied.
 

jwk94

Member
Sick days, vacation days, US bosses don't like you taking them. My boss gets PISSED whenever I take a vacation day.
 
Offering paid sick days doesn't mean your manager will allow you to use them. Worker was probably pressured to come in to work even though he was sick.

I just ate a steak bowl, pray for me.
 
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