Company Tracks Workers' Bathroom Visits to Punish Those Who Pee Too Much

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/labor/company-tracks-workers-bathroom-visits-punish-those-who-pee-too-much

Here's an employer determined to squeeze every last drop of productivity out of its workers:

Members of the Teamsters Local 743 who build sink stations at WaterSaver Faucet Co. and its sister company Guardian Equipment Inc. said that workers have been disciplined for exceeding their allotted bathroom time of 30 minutes per week, or 6 minutes per workday.

"They offered $1 per day for anyone who doesn’t go to the bathroom at all," said Nick Kreitman, senior business agent for Teamsters Local 743. So far, 19 people have been disciplined, with written or oral warnings, he said.

To be fair, the workers do get breaks under their union contract, but oddly enough human bodies don't always follow the official break schedule. The company claims it's not limiting people to six minutes a day, it's just disciplining people who abuse its totally lenient, not-limited-to-six-minutes bathroom policy:

But owner Kersten said there is no bathroom “allotment” beyond scheduled breaks and that workers were only disciplined when the tracking system showed they were taking excessive bathroom breaks. He cited one worker who was tracked using the bathroom six times in one shift, including two minutes before his scheduled morning break.

Um. Is that a guy taking advantage of his employer by going to the bathroom for kicks, or is that a guy who maybe should've stayed home, but had no sick leave? Because these workers have no paid sick leave, and who has not, in their time, made a desperate run for a bathroom in a moment of urgency and discomfort? And yes, you read that right: tracking system. The workers have to swipe an ID to get into the bathroom, and the company tracks it. Boy, that sure makes the company's claims that it's reasonable and fair about bathroom breaks believable, doesn't it?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. WaterSaver? That's an ironic name.

Employees should pee on the bosses' feet. "Sorry, I wasn't allowed to go to the bathroom, couldn't hold it any longer."

[xchrom]

3. i ove the picture that just created in my mind.

you're getting updates about the day -- whip it out and PEE on his shoes!

[Louisiana1976]

2. I don't envy the poor folks who work there. My bladder wouldn't be able to deal with 6

minutes a day.

[Aerows]

4. I'd rather starve to death

than work for a company like that.

[hobbit709]

5. That tracking system would quit working after one use around me.

[get the red out]

7. This has happened before

http://articles.latimes.com/1995-01-17/local/me-20843_1_grey-poupon

I knew I remembered this happening in another company years before. People being used as machines. It makes me so angry.

[arcane1]

8. Well, I'm feeling a little better about losing our casual Fridays now.

And somehow there are still people out there who think workers' representation is not needed. I'm surprised this company isn't rationing the TP too!

[abelenkpe]

9. Once worked for AT&T in a call center

taking complaint calls, etc. for the summer during my college years. Had a manager come to my desk after I returned from a bathroom break and take my drink off my desk. I asked her where she was going with my drink. She said I couldn't drink anymore that day because i had used up my allotted bathroom time. This was around 11:00 am on a day where I was blessed with my monthly visitor. My shift wasn't going to end until 6 pm. I quit right there and then. Ridiculous policy.

[Autumn Colors]

10. I'd use the whole allotment one week out of the month

Really? On heavy period days, some women have to change tampons/pads every couple of hours.

Do the female employees get extra time if they declare which week of the month they're dealing with a bloody mess?

Sorry for the bluntness, but it sounds like whoever made this policy never thought of that.