In the restaurant industry—where paid sick leave is a luxury many establishments say they can’t afford—it’s not uncommon for minimum-wage-earning hosts, servers and kitchen staff to show up for work even when they’re ill.
But as last year’s outbreaks of norovirus and E. coli at Chipotle restaurants demonstrated, sick workers can lead to sick customers, which can lead to a damaged reputation, lost business, potential liability and even criminal charges.