Employee Illness: Exclusion, Restriction, and the Big 6

The reporting duty that carries real liability

Food handlers are required to report a specific list of symptoms and diagnoses to the person in charge, and the person in charge has a defined decision to make: exclude, restrict, or release.

• The Big 6 pathogens: Norovirus, Hepatitis A, Shigella, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhi, and nontyphoidal Salmonella.

• Report symptoms: vomiting, diarrhoea, jaundice, sore throat with fever, or a lesion on the hand or wrist.

• Exclusion applies to diagnosed Big 6 conditions and to vomiting or diarrhoea.

• Restriction means the employee may work, but not with exposed food, clean equipment, or utensils.

Employee illness scenario practice

Free 580-question ServSafe Manager practice bank with a per-domain weakness map.