T-Rex manager worked after testing positive

[Krandor]

It’s always possible that Disney doesn’t know if it’s true and is trying to find out before they issue a statement. As for the restaurant, i certainly think less of Landry’s. Either they let this happen (which would put people at risk), or they’re letting people worry unnecessarily because they don’t want to comment on a rumor.

It is a 3rd party restaurant. I'm not sure it's disneys place to put out a statment. If a store at a mall had somebody test positive would the mall rrelease a statement? This isn't on disney but it looks bad for Landry's.

 

[New Mouse]

It is a 3rd party restaurant. I'm not sure it's disneys place to put out a statment. If a store at a mall had somebody test positive would the mall rrelease a statement? This isn't on disney but it looks bad for Landry's.

Both would. If this did occur, Disney should be shutting them down and looking at possibly pulling their lease.

 

[OSUZorba]

its because employers in the US pretty much force workers to work sick. They penalize workers who are truly sick and hate to give PTO.

That is a big part of the problem too. Like I said, it's the American culture, most in the service industry have no sick time and no savings. But even people with sick time go to work sick, and worse send their kids to daycare/school sick.

 

[Wreckem]

This isn’t surprising. Restaurants across the country aren’t disclosing positives. In Dallas in particular there are dozens of companies refusing to disclose when they have positive tests.

 

[anthony2k7]

Sorry, OT I know, but is rainforest still shut at springs?

Might be a clue as to the financial situation of landrys if RFC is still shut and this is going on at t rex.

 

[rteetz]

Sorry, OT I know, but is rainforest still shut at springs?

Might be a clue as to the financial situation of landrys if RFC is still shut and this is going on at t rex.

I believe so

 

[Ninjagrrl]

If you ever worked in the restaurant industry, you would realize that this happens ALL the time. Low wage workers often just can't afford to miss work, especially in states with lousy worker protection laws where there's no mandatory sick time. It's part of the risk assessment of dining out anytime, but especially now in the Covid era.

 

[Anna H]

I'm aware of the irony but I hate rumors

It seems pretty fishy that a restaurant would be so woefully negligent. I'll believe it when/if something concrete is revealed. I am concerned that those stores closed though. Was there any official word on that? Sick employees? Were they cleared for covid? I can't figure out why Disney would be exempt from sharing confirmed cases when smaller businesses with more to lose are volunteering to disclose even one case.

 

[a1tinkfans]

If it’s true, it’s not surprising for the reasons already stated.
I’d rather hope it’s not accurate till proven otherwise.

 

[Anna_Sh]

I think the biggest issue for Disney and Landry’s is that the story is out in the world now, and most people are treating it as fact. I told my someone at my doctor’s office that I was going to DS this weekend, and she warned me that “people” at DS had tested positive and I should be extra careful. If someone doesn’t issue a statement, the rumor mill is going to continue to run with this.

 

[Anna_Sh]

This isn’t surprising. Restaurants across the country aren’t disclosing positives. In Dallas in particular there are dozens of companies refusing to disclose when they have positive tests.

I don’t think the fact that someone might have tested positive is the problem. It’s the allegation that they kept working that’s the main issue.

 

[JM23457]

Low wage workers often just can't afford to miss work, especially in states with lousy worker protection laws where there's no mandatory sick time.

It isn't just low wage workers. I've seen obviously sick workers in all sorts of settings. When I was in labor with my son, an attending nurse had a nasty cold, looking run down and constantly wiping her nose, etc. So naturally my newborn son, who never left the house after leaving the hospital, got his first cold during his first week of life. I told my mother about it, as she was also a nurse in the same hospital, and she said that nurses aren't supposed to come in sick but sometimes do, always claiming that it's allergies.

I'm a teacher, and there was a coworker who worked for a whole week before Christmas with a vicious chest cough that you could easily hear down the hall. She worked directly with students, attended a hands-on team-building activity with the whole staff, etc. She's single & I suspect that she would have been lonely staying at home. Completely irresponsible on her part and I avoided her as much as possible, sanitizing constantly as we had a Christmas week cruise planned.

These kinds of jobs do include sick leave, but some workers just don't want to take it. I do think it's a cultural thing ("I go to work no matter what!"), and I hope that Covid changes that aspect of American work culture.

 

[Jake]

The state of FL is so desperate for money. Touris money. They will not do anything. All that sale tax , hotel tax, airline tax, cruise ship tax. Can not ever be made up. You are not going to dinner and get two main meals to make up for the one you did not eat in March

 

[afan]

It isn't just low wage workers. I've seen obviously sick workers in all sorts of settings. When I was in labor with my son, an attending nurse had a nasty cold, looking run down and constantly wiping her nose, etc. So naturally my newborn son, who never left the house after leaving the hospital, got his first cold during his first week of life. I told my mother about it, as she was also a nurse in the same hospital, and she said that nurses aren't supposed to come in sick but sometimes do, always claiming that it's allergies.

I'm a teacher, and there was a coworker who worked for a whole week before Christmas with a vicious chest cough that you could easily hear down the hall. She worked directly with students, attended a hands-on team-building activity with the whole staff, etc. She's single & I suspect that she would have been lonely staying at home. Completely irresponsible on her part and I avoided her as much as possible, sanitizing constantly as we had a Christmas week cruise planned.

These kinds of jobs do include sick leave, but some workers just don't want to take it. I do think it's a cultural thing ("I go to work no matter what!"), and I hope that Covid changes that aspect of American work culture.

I think more than it just being a work culture here it's a culture wherever you work. I've worked places were people often came to work sick, always heard coughing and stuff. Where I'm at now it's rare to encounter someone that's sick at work. Both had sick time, but the first lumped it in with vacation for PTO which I'm sure was part of the problem, why take it as sick when I can take it as vacation. Now they are separate and we can bank sick time if we don't use it but a good majority of us are also able to work from home and considering we've all got set ups at home and work now due to mandatory work from home I imagine it'll make it even less likely people come in sick. The ironic thing is the first office was healthcare, corp office for a long term care pharmacy, now it's construction so the first should have been better.

I've also worked where we didn't have sick days but were paid if we took sick days, it was weird but only had vacations. There were still some that came to work sick but not as much as the combined PTO place but my boss would give me a hard time when I came back from vacation or if I'd been out sick, no idea if he did others, but that makes it annoying as well. Not enough to make me go in sick but frustrated when I didn't go in. Whereas now they don't want us there if we're sick and the company values very much line up with that so they are doing as they say they will. Managers, CEO's etc just need to start saying and showing that it's ok and you should stay home when you are actually sick, especially if you work in any type of customer service role but always really.

I don't doubt that someone tested positive, we've had one local place close due to an employee testing positive so they could clean and get others tested, but to my knowledge they didn't keep going in once they tested positive. But again, while the money is an issue, it also comes back to the company culture and if you can even call in. I'm sure with restuarants it's hard because you don't want to leave them short staffed and then be given a hard time for it, it's not your fault you got sick (well generally, you know what I mean) and there needs to be a system in place for someone to be able to fill in so that you don't feel guilty for not going in.

 

[unbanshee]

Isn't the fact that they didn't deny it outright in the statement made to BlogMickey.com at least a little bit telling?

 

[JM23457]

Isn't the fact that they didn't deny it outright in the statement made to BlogMickey.com at least a little bit telling?

No.

 

[unbanshee]

No.

Ok, why?

 

[Krandor]

I don’t think the fact that someone might have tested positive is the problem. It’s the allegation that they kept working that’s the main issue.

Correct. If the report was somebody was posittive. They were sent home with pay the area was deep cleaned and all employees are being given time off to get tested if they want to then this wouldn't be an issue. Allowing a known positive to keep working is a problem.

 

[Aurora0427]

Knowing what I know about Tillman Fertitta, the owner of Landry’s, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if this rumor is true.

On the bright side, here in San Diego we’ve had a few cluster outbreaks at restaurants, but only among employees. I know in Houston they’ve had issues with restaurant employees socializing together after hours at bars contracting COVID. No customers have been infected. It seems like the greatest risk of transmission is sitting or being with someone who is infected for an extended period of time.... and customers just aren’t hanging out with the cooks or your restaurant server.

But this is going to be an ongoing problem here in the US.... people go to work sick because for many workers, there’s no sick leave, and they need the money.

 

[J-BOY]

It seems pretty fishy that a restaurant would be so woefully negligent.

I think you'd be surprised. Restaurants and food service are some of the least worker-friendly businesses in the US. When you make impossibly low wages, the majority of your income is from tips, and you hardly accrue paid time off (if at all), you're going to feel obligated to go to work even if you're sick. Especially so after a massive pandemic and had to deal with Florida's terrible unemployment system.