Barriers to Training and Certification

A number of barriers to taking food safe handling training are cited by all interviewed stakeholders. Their responses, both logistical and attitudinal, point to the existing stumbling blocks to participating in training. As one employee commented, "Time, distance, format, costs are all obstacles." The most significant barriers are:

Operations in outlying communities who do not have direct access to food safe programs experience more barriers to participation in training than do urban operations. The majority of the employees from rural or small centres indicate that they have not taken a food safe handling course. Restaurant chains tend to send staff to training while 'mom and pop' restaurants are inclined not to send staff out because of time, staffing and money.

Cost Factor

Employees state that lack of money or cost would be a problem in taking classes independently or on their own. They would need to bear costs which would include not only the course fee, but time away from work and missed wages. Unless they get compensated, it becomes a survival issue. Consequently, "people won't go on their own time. If the owners paid, that would be OK." Cost for many is a barrier particularly for young employees. "…18 and 19 year olds on their own can't afford a course."

Managers confirm this by saying that the primary barrier to taking safe food handling training for employees is the cost factor and economic reasons. "It's a money issue". The cost factor is also felt by managers as well.

"The financial burden is huge. It's hard to implement something like this because the profit margin is not there in the business. There isn't a dollar value to having this certification. What they need for the bottom-line is someone who cooks and plates".

The cost for twenty employees attending one meeting a month is estimated at $700 in wages and loss of production time. "Businesses are not willing to pay for staff to sit them down and train. It is problematic to take a group of employees away from work"

Large franchises, in their commitment to food safety, cited that there are no real barriers but recognized that they have to pay workers to take the training - and willingly do so. A manager remarked, that although the profit margin for some has gone down over the years, "they can't afford to have foodborne illness and (they can't afford) not to send people to training".