Ohio brewery responds to backlash after politician commended server for reportedly coming to work 'sick'

• Former Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel commended a brewery server who says they showed up "sick."
• In a tweet, Mandel thanked the server for working because the brewery was short-staffed.
• The brewery said the server was well-intended but made a mistake by coming into work ill.
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An Ohio brewery responded to criticism after Josh Mandel, the former Ohio State Treasurer and a former Ohio State Representative, took to Twitter to commend one of its servers for reportedly showing up to work while sick.

Mandel tweeted about the brewery, Inside the Five Brewing Company in Perrysburg, Ohio, on August 20, writing: "@InsideTheFive is a cool brewery started by two NFL vets. Great food and spirited waitresses!"

Mandel's tweet continued: "Even though Brianne was sick today, she came to work because she knew they were short servers. These are the type of American workers that make our country strong."

Mandel added two photos - one of the restaurant, and of him with a person who is presumably the worker he mentioned, and neither was photographed wearing face masks.

-Josh Mandel (@JoshMandelOhio) August 20, 2021

While Mandel commended the server for showing up to work, several users responded to Mandel on Twitter to call his message "insensitive" in the pandemic. Mandel, who is currently running for an Ohio Senate seat, and Tim Ryan, a leading Democratic candidate running against him, responded to his tweet, condemned Mandel's tweet for "telling people to go to work sick - whether COVID or a cold."

In a statement to Toledo, Ohio, CBS broadcaster WTOL 11, Inside The Five Brewing Company said of its employee who said they felt "sick" but came to work: "This is so disappointing. Last week we sent a message to our staff saying that they should report any symptoms, big or small, to a manager, and not come to work."

If a worker is feeling sick, they should not "just assume it's allergies or a cold," the brewery's statement continues.

"Although our server's intentions were good, it was not the right decision and it will be addressed," the statement reads. "Yes, we are short-staffed, but would close our doors before we put anyone at risk. The employee has since been sent home."

A representative for the brewery told WTOL 11 on Saturday that the worker has to test negative for COVID-19 before coming back to work, and that its two locations have issued mask mandates for servers.

Representatives for Inside the Five Brewing Company and Mandel, respectively, did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comments.

Many flu-like symptoms can overlap with symptoms of other conditions, like the common cold, allergies, and COVID-19, and the CDC recommends that people stay home if they are feeling sick to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.