SAUGUS — The 110 Grill restaurant in Saugus is one of more than 1,000 Massachusetts businesses to have received complaints from employees regarding alleged pandemic safety violations, according to data released by the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards.
A report published by WBUR this week examining more than 1,000 complaints documented by DLS between May 18 and Dec. 1 found that the restaurant chain as a whole received 20 complaints across 12 Massachusetts locations — more than any other business.
At least one of those complaints was made in Saugus, where employees reported alleged misconduct on the part of management in late August, when a coworker showed up to work with symptoms and later tested positive for the coronavirus.
Public Health Director John Fralick confirmed in an interview that the town received a complaint regarding a COVID-19 positive among 110 Grill staff, although he noted that upon closer inspection, local health officials found the restaurant to be compliant with state and town-mandated safety guidelines.
“We found 110 to be following proper protocols when we followed up,” he said, adding that the Saugus Board of Health’s policy is for businesses to require a negative test from employees prior to them returning to work, regardless of the length of quarantine.
He speculated that the August complaint may have stemmed from the fact that the location did not close following the diagnosis, whereas many smaller businesses faced with similar situations at the time were forced to temporarily shutter due to lack of staffing.
“We’ve seen similar situations with larger chain restaurants who have spare staffing to staff restaurants with employees from different locations. This raised concerns with employees who were quarantined,” Fralick said. “Early on, when indoor dining was reopened, it was a new maneuver to digest. Now it’s become the norm for larger restaurants with adequate staffing.”
Under current state mandates, when an establishment is notified that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19, it must notify its local Board of Health, at which point it is required to conduct a thorough contract trace of up to 48 hours prior to symptom onset or positive test result. Identified close contacts are then required to quarantine under approved state guidelines.
In a statement provided to The Item, 110 Grill’s Director of Marketing, Alicia Puputti, said the company takes the health of its guests and employees seriously, and refuted the claim that management did not follow proper COVID-19 safety protocols.
“When a team member fell ill, they were sent home,” she said. “After they received a positive result, 110 Grill worked with the local health officials, and all team members that were in close contact were informed and tested.”
Puputti said the location also underwent extensive cleaning before reopening to the public.
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at [email protected].
