All too soon (sniff!), these children will be entering the workplace. Now the question is, employers: Do you have your peanut-free lunch table ready to go?
Food allergies are serious business for anyone who has one. Employees with food allergies know instinctively which break room snacks, potluck dishes, and catered lunch items to avoid -- which, most likely, will be all of them.
They've learned from a young age to bring their own food from home to avoid any allergy-induced health issues, such as not being able to breathe. Food allergies can be life-threatening.
As today's children move from school to the workplace, they will surely start asking management a few questions:
Hey, where's the peanut-free lunch table? I always had one at school. Can we stop having catered lunches and potlucks, please? Why is my co-worker allowed to eat a Snickers bar two feet away from me? Can we get rid of the vending machine? And could so-and-so stop bringing in homemade cookies on Fridays? Thanks.
How should employers respond to such requests, which may already be happening in some workplaces?
In a nutshell, employers must accommodate food allergies under the Americans With Disabilities Act, but there's no guidance as to what "accommodation" really means.
In other words, there isn't yet any case law that defines how far employers must go in creating a safe workplace for employees with severe food allergies.
Of course, there are varying levels of severity when it comes to food allergies. Some allergy sufferers can be around the food items they're allergic to, as long as they don't eat them. So their teammates can eat all the gluten-guilty snacks they want, and it's no big deal.
Some allergy sufferers, however, don't want -- or can't have -- these foods anywhere near them. This is where the issue gets stickier than a walnut-covered cinnamon roll.
Luckily, Julia DiPrete over at The Labor Dish (no pun intended, I assume...) just wrote a piece offering employers some great advice for dealing with this situation. It's worth a read.
As more and more food allergies move into the workplace over the next decade, employers will have to be ready with a response. Take the issue very seriously as a manager, and work with the allergic employee to create a safer work environment.
Most employees will accommodate the allergic co-worker's food requests with sympathy and without complaint, but a few employees may balk at any workplace food restrictions. Take the time to speak with these employees, and discuss what might be a good compromise for them. Be fair, and listen.
Whew. Talk about a serious balancing act. I wish you the best of luck with it. May everyone at work stay happy and healthy. Now go fix the vending machine, will you?
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