Should food employees with the flu, or those who have family members who have the flu, be permitted to work?

A food worker with the flu does NOT present any risk to the safety of food because you can't get the flu from eating food. However, one of the best ways to reduce the spread of influenza is to keep sick people away from well people. Workers who have symptoms of the flu, such as fever, runny or stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing, sore throat, and muscle aches, should stay home and not come to work until at least 24 hours after their fever has resolved.

• CDC recommends that employees with flu-like illness remain at home until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications. (For this purpose, a fever is considered 100° F or greater)
   
• Expect sick employees to be out for about three to five days, in most cases, even if antiviral medications are used.
   
• CDC recommends that employers do not require a doctor’s note for workers who are ill with flu-like illness to validate their illness or to return to work, as doctor’s offices and medical facilities may be extremely busy and may not be able to provide such documentation in a timely way. 

Food workers who are well, but who have an ill family member at home with influenza, can go to work as usual. However, these employees should monitor their health every day, and notify their supervisor and stay home if they become ill.

Despite your best efforts, it may not be possible to exclude everyone who is ill with influenza from the workplace. Some people may be infectious before they show any symptoms. Also, some people with influenza do not have a fever. 

Last Reviewed: 10/26/2010

• If a person working in a food processing, handling, or serving facility has the flu, is any special cleaning of the facility required?
• Could a sick restaurant or retail worker, or other food handler, transmit flu virus to customers in a restaurant, supermarket, or other food-service venue?
• Should food preparers alter cooking methods to decrease the risk of spreading a flu virus?
• Should people working in food processing, handling, or serving facilities wear face masks or N95 respirators to prevent the spread of flu?

• Food & Water
  • Food Safety & Supply
    • Food Handlers