I waited tables for years before I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. Heck, it really was one of my most favorite times. All the people I got to meet. It was a fun time. One of the worst things about waiting tables was either having to go to work sick or NOT getting paid.

The worst thing about that is while serving the public it is so easy to spread illnesses. We have had a heck of a cold and flu season this year. Oh and then to add in the Cornavirus hooplah. It can be scary.

You don't want to go to work sick. I know you are thinking going to work sick is not the best for everyone involved. I get that but when you have to make rent sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Let's face it you don't perform your best. Heck let's admit it waiting tables can be just that a performance on most days. On Monday a group of restaurants announced actually giving ALL of their team members sick time. That is such great news.

Kudos to the folks at Darden Resaurants for doing just that. The Darden group includes Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Cheddar's  here in Amarillo. Here is the message:

At Darden, we believe our team members are our greatest competitive advantage. That is why we are always looking for ways to improve our employee experience by regularly evaluating our benefits to ensure we are supporting our team members. 

 

Today, we’re proud to announce Darden is providing Paid Sick Leave (PSL) for every one of our hourly team members who are not covered by a policy today. Read more for complete details about this benefit.

Again this is great news for local waitstaff. I never had sick days. I either had to lose pay or suck it up and go in to work. I love that Darden cares enough to now give their employees the chance to not share their sickness. I now wish this was the norm in most restaurants.

What a good thing that would be for all of us.

 

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