Accountability Supports Food Safety Culture
With the low unemployment numbers, and competition for good workers, many managers may choose to look the other way when staff do not complete tasks when and how they should. You may recall the parent who tells the little scamp, I’m going to count to three – one, two, two and a half, two and three quarters, etc. – only to find there is no change in behavior. That little scamp may well end up in juvie because he/she was never held accountable for behavior – the parents always looked the other way just to keep the peace. But a failure to act has unintended consequences, not just for the child, but for others in the family. It is the same in any foodservice operation–lack of consistent adherence to defined and communicated ways of work can result in a free for all or someone going rogue. From there, a positive food safety culture can only go downhill because operational values are not being acted upon, and other employees (the good ones) may get frustrated and leave to work in a place where they feel valued.
Our research at Iowa State found that employees wanted to be rewarded when they did things right, and wanted employees who didn’t follow the rules to have consequences for their actions. With USDA funding, we created modules for managers to assist in developing infrastructure. In a nutshell, the recipe is not too difficult.
First, establish what and how the work should be completed. This is where the operation’s written standard operating procedures (SOPs) and employee policies play a role. Second, establish in advance what consequences there will be for failure to follow. At the same time, an operation could consider a rewards or incentive program for good performance. Some operations gather ideas from the leadership team only and others seek input from all staff in an effort to get buy-in. A consideration in this process is that the consequences and rewards are appropriate for the action: firing someone for being late after one offense might be too drastic but the team may decide firing someone after three unexcused absences is not. What is important is that once consequences are decided upon, there is consistency in implementing. That is what gives the backbone to any system. When the manager counts to three, it is done so the same way each time! Consistency in providing rewards is also important to avoid charges of favoritism. Managers will want to log when consequences are imposed to ensure a record is maintained in the event there is a legal challenge.
Documentation of the SOPs, employee policies, consequences for failure to follow, and training on these topics supports a positive food safety culture and is a risk mitigation strategy. Risk Nothing!
Food Safety Considerations for the “New Way” of Dining, Part II – Back-of-house
In our first blog this month, we discussed the importance of front-of-house practices as we emerge from the pandemic this summer and into fall. Making your guests feel safe will be an important point as we welcome them back to our establishment. The safer they feel, the more likely they are to revisit and this could, in turn, be a competitive advantage for your business.
Food Safety Considerations for the “New Way” of Dining
Spring is my favorite time of year, as we head out of the winter months, welcome warmer weather, and increase the daylight hours. As such, we turnover a new leaf and welcome new life as our grass, trees, and perennials come out of dormancy. This year as the Coronavirus vaccine continues its roll out and we welcome a third vaccine onto the market this morning, perhaps this spring we are turning over a ‘new leaf’ in a much more profound way, as we see light at the end of the Coronavirus tunnel.
Developing Good Food Safety Habits
Good habits and habit development are something that has fascinated me for several years. If you’ve attended any the training programs or presentations that my colleagues and I have conducted through our Center for Food Safety in Child Nutrition Programs, you’ve likely heard me opine about the importance of habits and how habits are created. Many times, in foodservice operations we wonder why our staff don’t follow the food safety practices we have established in our operation. Perhaps they don’t wash their hands when they are required, perhaps they just don’t use the proper method of handwashing, or perhaps we find that they don’t complete our HACCP logs as often as our program dictates should occur. And while we can stomp our feet and say “it is their job, they should just do it”, it really isn’t that simple. We can’t order people to change, although if we could, business and human resources would be so much simpler.
Getting Your Playbook for Food Safety Organized
As anyone who has ever worked in a foodservice operation knows, from the time food is received in your establishment to the time it is served to your customers, following proper food safety practices is crucial. What many don’t often think about is this time really should extend from the time the manager places their orders with their suppliers (including which purveyors you utilize), through the time the food is consumed – even if that consumption occurs off your premises and days after the original order was picked up by the guest. This is something that has certainly been highlighted by the pandemic as customers across the nation are utilizing take-out, curbside to go, and third-party delivery options more so now than ever before.
