Red Lobster Workers Report Inadequate Paid Sick Leave, Pressure From Managers To Work

During a global pandemic that has killed more than 5 million people, the Shift Project at Harvard’s Kennedy School found that 63% of Red Lobster workers who were ill in the past month say they worked while sick.

Some report being forced to work by Red Lobster management and report that they faced threats. Out of the employees at Red Lobster the Shift Project spoke to, 23% reported being pressured by their manager, according to Business Insider.

Another finding reported by the Shift Project showed that only 12% of workers at the seafood restaurant chain get sick pay, compared to 49% of service workers overall. These findings, and more, were published as a part of a joint investigation between Popular.info and More Perfect Union.

The joint investigation found that Red Lobster is one of the worst employers in the U.S. regarding paid sick leave. Only 14 states in the U.S. require employers to pay employees while they are on sick leave.

If an employee still wants to take sick leave, their fellow employees can volunteer to donate funds — which requires a small deduction from their paycheck — that gives each employee $1,000 of paid sick leave a year.

One former employee in Pennsylvania alleged that the company would write him up if he called out sick, and four write-ups result in an employee being fired. After he told them he had symptoms of COVID-19, management told him to find someone to cover his shift or he would be “written up.”

That Pennsylvania employee was not alone in his fears as 43% of Red Lobster employees reported to the Shift Project that they worked while sick during the pandemic because they were worried about getting in trouble for calling out sick.

On top of the workers being threatened or forced to work while sick, there were some workers who had no choice but to work while sick because of concerns about money.

More statistics from the Shift Project found that 18% of Red Lobster employees reported going hungry in the past month and 29% reported difficulty paying essential bills, like utilities.

In a statement to Popular.info, a Red Lobster spokesperson wrote that “Red Lobster’s paid time off policies are consistent with our industry, in which the vast majority of our workforce are hourly employees with flexible scheduling options.

"We take health and safety very seriously and have an Ill Employee Health Policy in place that is designed to keep both employees and our guests safe. No one is allowed to work sick. Employees who violate this policy are subject to disciplinary action, including termination of employment.”