The human right for McDonald's employees not to wash their hands

[UGAalum94]

I'm as pro-hand washing as the next person, but when you read the first article that Jon posted, you'll see that the case ended up being more about McDonald's not taking the actions that it should have to see if she could have been employed by them in a way that didn't require as frequent hand washing, basically in a non-food handling job.

She had worked there for more than 20 years when she developed some kind of health problem related to frequent hand washing. McDonalds basically just fired her and never even dealt with her directly to see what exactly the problem was and if she could be accommodated.

So while making the case about allowing food service employees to refuse to handle food makes us all interested and outraged, it's really a failure to accommodate a disability lawsuit.

There's no indication that anyone felt that food service employees could refuse to wash their hands.

[preciousjeni]

Question, could one not just wear latex gloves and wash them throughout the day if the handwashing is too much? I don't work in food service myself but I must say if I had to wash my hands that much, they'd be bleeding. My skin is far too dry for that level of "hygiene."

ETA: I see in this case, she was told not to wear gloves because they aggravated her condition.

[Lady Pi Phi]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

Question, could one not just wear latex gloves and wash them throughout the day if the handwashing is too much? I don't work in food service myself but I must say if I had to wash my hands that much, they'd be bleeding. My skin is far too dry for that level of "hygiene."

ETA: I see in this case, she was told not to wear gloves because they aggravated her condition.

I don't know what the restaurant policies are in the US, but I know here (well, at least in Ontario), it's actaully against regulations to wear gloves. The reason being is that you're actually spreading more bacteria that way, because it stays on the gloves, and the wearer is handling different foods, touching counters, picking up rags, etc., etc. Now, if you request that the food prepares wear gloves while making your burger, they will put them on.

Mr. Pi Phi used to manage a pizza place, and it was part of the health code and company policy not to wear gloves.

Bottom line, this woman should not have been handling the food. I'm sure there was another job at the restaurant that she could have done.

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by Lady Pi Phi

I don't know what the restaurant policies are in the US, but I know here (well, at least in Ontario), it's actaully against regulations to wear gloves. The reason being is that you're actually spreading more bacteria that way, because it stays on the gloves, and the wearer is handling different foods, touching counters, picking up rags, etc., etc. Now, if you request that the food prepares wear gloves while making your burger, they will put them on.

Mr. Pi Phi used to manage a pizza place, and it was part of the health code and company policy not to wear gloves.

Bottom line, this woman should not have been handling the food. I'm sure there was another job at the restaurant that she could have done.

What I'm saying is wear gloves and then wash the gloves, instead of using your bare hands and washing your bare hands.

[Lady Pi Phi]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

What I'm saying is wear gloves and then wash the gloves, instead of using your bare hands and washing your bare hands.

I'm not saying it's right. Just how it is. What she should be doing is either not handling food at all, or changing her gloves everytime she handles different food.

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by Lady Pi Phi

I'm not saying it's right. Just how it is. What she should be doing is either not handling food at all, or changing her gloves everytime she handles different food.

Interesting.

At the cafeteria in the building where I work, some of the food is made to order (hamburgers, etc.) and some pre-cooked.

It seemed to me that the man who runs the grill portion changed gloves a lot. It seemed to me to be excessive.

However, on closer observation, he changes them (throwing the old pair away) each time he touches any kind of raw meat for the made to order things. (ie: steak slices for a Cheese Steak -- not something that is pre-cooked in this situation)

That makes a lot of sense to me.

Also, my for what it's worth opinion is that if washing hands or wearing gloves is hard on a person's hands, they probably shouldn't be in the food service industry. While they may have rights, so does the eating public.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

Question, could one not just wear latex gloves and wash them throughout the day if the handwashing is too much? I don't work in food service myself but I must say if I had to wash my hands that much, they'd be bleeding. My skin is far too dry for that level of "hygiene."

ETA: I see in this case, she was told not to wear gloves because they aggravated her condition.

Soap + latex, on ANYONE'S hands, would probably chew them up in record time. Not to mention the water getting stuck under the gloves and drying out your hands. You should put on a new pair every time you wash your hands.

If you work in ANY restaurant you have to wash your hands a lot. If she developed a skin condition from all the handwashing, she has to find another line of business. Period.

[RaggedyAnn]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

I'm as pro-hand washing as the next person, but when you read the first article that Jon posted, you'll see that the case ended up being more about McDonald's not taking the actions that it should have to see if she could have been employed by them in a way that didn't require as frequent hand washing, basically in a non-food handling job.

She had worked there for more than 20 years when she developed some kind of health problem related to frequent hand washing. McDonalds basically just fired her and never even dealt with her directly to see what exactly the problem was and if she could be accommodated.

So while making the case about allowing food service employees to refuse to handle food makes us all interested and outraged, it's really a failure to accommodate a disability lawsuit.

There's no indication that anyone felt that food service employees could refuse to wash their hands.

I read the article, but I also worked for McDonald's for 5 years in high school and college. Many of these restaurants are franchises. The administrative work is done by the managers in between working at the grill and food service up front. I never worked in the grill, but would have to wash my hands a lot as a cashier. Fries, ketchup, mustard...food gets on you even using the best of care. The other option would be to clean up the dining room, but you need to use cleaning fluids out there as well. And you can't tell me she wouldn't want to wash her hands after picking up other people's garbage? The fact of the matter is that everyone has to wash their hands in a restaurant and everyone wears different hats when working there. I can't think of a reasonable accomadation.

I guess she could have gone to work for corporate McDonald's, but are they local to her?

[RU OX Alum]

Originally Posted by RaggedyAnn

I read the article, but I also worked for McDonald's for 5 years in high school and college. Many of these restaurants are franchises. The administrative work is done by the managers in between working at the grill and food service up front. I never worked in the grill, but would have to wash my hands a lot as a cashier. Fries, ketchup, mustard...food gets on you even using the best of care. The other option would be to clean up the dining room, but you need to use cleaning fluids out there as well. And you can't tell me she wouldn't want to wash her hands after picking up other people's garbage? The fact of the matter is that everyone has to wash their hands in a restaurant and everyone wears different hats when working there. I can't think of a reasonable accomadation.

I guess she could have gone to work for corporate McDonald's, but are they local to her?

Exactly. I worked in a restuarant too, if you don't want to wash your hands every so often then something is wrong with you because any time there is food it will get on you if you are around it/handling it.

[BabyPiNK_FL]

After reading this article I became so sensitive to handwashing! Yesterday I was in Cheesecake Factory and two customers came in (neither used the handicap bathroom with comes with the sink inside just for reference). I went to wash my hands as usual and noticed two women walk out without even so much as glancing at the sink. People just don't want to wash. I think this also ties in to the post in I think Chit Chat about B.O. Anyways, I couldn't believe it because A) you're eating! and B) The bathroom isn't nasty so they had no reason to not want to touch the sink. Plus they provide paper towels so you can use them to shut off the sink after. I was severely grossed out.

[fantASTic]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

I'm as pro-hand washing as the next person, but when you read the first article that Jon posted, you'll see that the case ended up being more about McDonald's not taking the actions that it should have to see if she could have been employed by them in a way that didn't require as frequent hand washing, basically in a non-food handling job.

She had worked there for more than 20 years when she developed some kind of health problem related to frequent hand washing. McDonalds basically just fired her and never even dealt with her directly to see what exactly the problem was and if she could be accommodated.

So while making the case about allowing food service employees to refuse to handle food makes us all interested and outraged, it's really a failure to accommodate a disability lawsuit.

There's no indication that anyone felt that food service employees could refuse to wash their hands.

As someone who worked at McDonald's for several years, there really is NO position in which an employee does not handle food. At all. Cashiers are responsible for fries and condiments, as well as shakes and ice cream and coffee drinks. Cleaning requires handling several liquids. There really is no reasonable position.