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Tucson business copes with flu frustrations

Posted: Jan 15, 2013 7:59 AM by Nathan O'Neal
Updated: Jan 15, 2013 8:06 AM

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TUCSON - With flu season in full swing, that means employees calling in sick and some places taking extra caution to keep the virus from taking hold of the workplace.

As Ethan Vickers works his shift at a northside Eegee's, he's not about to let anything slow him down, including the clutch of the flu.

"I always sanitize my hands as often as possible," Vickers said.

He's one of the lucky ones at the franchise who have avoided getting sick this flu season.

" A few [employees] have, a dn a few have called off, but we tend to not let them work if they're sick, have the sniffles or something like that...we keep them away from the food," Vickers told News 4 Tucson.

Hourly wipe-downs, hand sanitizer and plenty of hand-washing is the plan to keep eateries like the one Vickers staffs healthy.

"The main thing is that we don't want anybody who is infected with any flu type symptoms to come to work because we don't want to infect other co-workers as well as our customers," said Dominick Scala, the Director of Operations of Eegee's.

Meanwhile, on the south side of town, the Community Food Bank is taking it a step further in offering free flu vaccinations for its employees.

"Last week the community food bank had about 30 percent of its staff out," said Bill Carnegie, the Community Food Bank CEO.

The Food Bank is hoping to prevent any more of its workers from calling in sick, while juggling schedules to adjust for those who are sick.

"We just kind of shift employees and then there's just things that just don't get done so then when the staff does come back we have to catch up in other areas," Carnegie said.

"Right now, we're functioning okay but we're kind of operating with a skeleton crew," he said.

Business owners agree though that if you're feeling ill, it really is a good idea to not go to work just to help keep the rest of the workplace healthy.

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