Yes, I’ve worked at McDonald’s and I believe it builds character, but I really wish we had worn gloves when handling customers’ food. As a fast food employee, you touch everything from money to strawberry shakes.
Sometimes it gets so busy that employees don’t have the time to walk to the back of the restaurant and wash their hands. Employees have to keep orders flowing in the restaurant.
Even though hand washing is necessary, sometimes it isn’t enough. The hands need another barrier instead of just antibacterial soap.
Gloves keep food borne illnesses from spreading, and they ensure peace of mind for customers who are sometimes reluctant to eat at fast food restaurants. What’s surprising is that some fast food restaurants wear gloves, while others don’t.
For instance, I noticed the employees at McDonald’s and Burger King on the corners of Monroe and Orange Street don’t wear gloves. But the Subway on Monroe and even the fast food restaurants in Florida A&M University’s food court require their employees to wear them.
Why aren’t gloves a requirement in fast food establishments? You have latex, vinyl and plastic – take your pick. Maybe it’s because gloves are another expense to the restaurant, but most of these restaurants are successful franchises.
Kendra, a shift manager at Burger King on Monroe Street, didn’t even have any answers.
“I don’t know,” was Kendra’s response to the reasoning behind employees handling food without gloves. “You would have to call corporate and ask them. I don’t make those rules.”
The fact that a manager has no idea why a rule in her establishment is not enforced proves that it may not be necessary.
Instead, they proceeded to make customers’ food. At least if they’re wearing gloves, they could simply take them off and put on a fresh pair.
Why should people pay 4 to 5 hard-earned dollars on a meal that an employee didn’t even care to wash their hands before preparing?
People may have a choice in deciding which restaurant they want to dine at, but they also put their stomachs in the hands of strangers. I wish employees would switch places with the customer and see how they feel about their food being handled with bare hands.
As a college student we want our food fast, but we want it handled properly.
Customers trust restaurants, and the establishments shouldn’t take that for granted.
Corbin Robinson is a junior magazine production student from Milwaukee. She can be reached at famuanhealth@hotmail.com.