When you may return
- Vomiting or diarrhea, no diagnosis: 24 hours with no symptoms, or a doctor's note that it isn't catching.
- Norovirus: doctor's clearance, or 48 hours after symptoms end (or 48 hours after diagnosis if you had no symptoms).
- Shigella: two negative stool tests taken 24+ hours apart (starting 48+ hours after antibiotics), or 7 days after symptoms end (or after diagnosis if no symptoms).
- STEC: two negative stool tests 24+ hours apart, or 7 days after symptoms end (or after diagnosis if no symptoms).
- Nontyphoidal Salmonella: two negative stool tests, or 30 days after symptoms end (or after diagnosis if no symptoms).
- Sore throat with fever: a doctor's note (24+ hours of antibiotics, a negative throat culture, or cleared by the doctor).
- Pus-filled sore: once it is covered the right way (bandage plus glove on hands).
Sources: Food Code 2-201.13
These need county approval
- Hepatitis A or jaundice: county health department approval, plus one of: jaundice began more than 7 days ago; other symptoms began more than 14 days ago; or a doctor's note saying you are free of hepatitis A.
- Typhoid (Salmonella Typhi): county health department approval and a written doctor's note saying you are free of the infection.
- Where a highly susceptible group is served, other returns may need county approval too. Ask the county first.
Sources: Food Code 2-201.13
Keep the paperwork private
- Keep doctor's notes and county approvals in confidential records.
- On a shared screen, yes or no is enough. Don't type medical details.
Sources: Source protocols: keep any doctor's note or county approval in the confidential records · Source protocols: incident first steps (don't type medical details)
The rules behind it
- Employee health: report, exclude, restrict. Food workers report vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat with fever, pus-filled sores, Big 6 diagnoses and exposures; the person in charge excludes or restricts. Food Code 2-201.11, 2-201.12, 2-201.13; R392-102-15(4)