More than 60 percent of restaurant employees come to work instead of staying home when they're sick because they lack health insurance and paid sick time, according to a recent study cited in the New York Times' "Diner's Journal." The report, called "Serving While Sick," was issued by a restaurant advocacy group to pressure the restaurant industry to improve conditions for its employees. The authors surveyed more than 4,000 restaurant workers from eight states and cities about their working conditions and health. Among the findings:
  • almost 90 percent said they don't get health insurance through their employers
  • almost 50 percent said they had been either cut or burned on the job
  • 38 percent of workers said they had done something while working that put their safety at risk
  • 36 percent said their kitchens sometimes get so hot that conditions are unsafe
Read the complete article here, or download a PDF of the report here.