By: Rhia Bakshi, Intern, International Labor Rights Forum

“You either come in or you don't have a job the next day,” says John, who is a server at a restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. John is one of thousands of workers in the restaurant industry who face strenuous work environments with little access to benefits. This includes the lack of health insurance and paid sick days. In a recent survey conducted by the Restaurant Opportunities Center United, it was revealed that 63% of restaurant workers have cooked or served while sick. What this essentially means is that employees who should be receiving medical attention are instead being forced to work tirelessly, jeopardizing not only their own safety, but also that of others around them, including the consumer. Being absent from work, whether due to an emergency or not, could cost a worker his/her job, a risk that very few can afford to take. Thus, when forced to make a choice between health and livelihood, most workers choose the latter.

It is shocking to see such blatant violations of workers' rights take place in one of the largest, fastest-growing industries. While other sectors of the economy struggle to survive in a time of recession, the restaurant industry, with over 10 million employees, continues to expand and flourish. However, this escalating rate of progress has certainly not come without a cost. Hundreds of restaurant employees across the country experience terrible work conditions and serious labor law violations. Upon requesting a sick day off, Favian, a restaurant worker in Queens, New York, was told by one of his bosses that “the only way [he] could get [it] was if [he] was in a casket.” This reveals the brutal environment that restaurant employees are forced to work in. These workers must be empowered with the ability to withstand such violations, and for this purpose ILRF has developed a Freedom at Work Toolkit, outlining workers' rights and how to deal with oppressive work environments.

According to the Healthy Families Act, employers are required to provide for paid sick leave to ensure that workers have a chance to address their own health needs as well as the health needs of their families. In fact, it has been proven that both employers and employees benefit from such a policy. Mark, who is a restaurant-owner in Maine, talks about the benefits of providing paid sick days, “The more we invest in our employees the more we seem to get back from our employees.” Representing the employee's perspective is Roseanne, who works in a New York restaurant, “The owners treat us like family. It builds loyalty for the restaurant and for the owners when you're appreciated.” For more worker stories and employee perspectives, check out the Working Families Story Bank.

Also, to better understand how this dilemma poses a serious public health problem, read this article on why you should care about paid sick leave.