Could taking too long to answer nature’s call land you in hot water with your employer? You’d bladder believe it if you work for this Chicago-based faucet company.
Union workers with the company—somewhat appropriately called WaterSaver—must swipe in and out of the bathroom and agree to employment policies allowing for 30-minute bathroom breaks each week. That translated to just six minutes a day to take care of personal business.
Steven Kersten, owner of WaterSaver and privileged enough not to have to swipe in to use the bathroom, said the initiative came about after the company discovered its workers were spending “too much” time in the bathroom and not enough on the production line.
In fact, the company contends it lost 120 hours of productivity in May due to “unscheduled bathroom breaks.”
If employees do not stick to the time limits, they are subject to disciplinary action. Already, 19 workers have been disciplined for what the company deemed “excessive use” of the bathroom, involving verbal and written warnings.
If warnings escalate into action, workers could even face suspension or termination.
“The company has spreadsheets on every union employee on how long they were in the bathroom,” Nick Kreitman, the union representative at WaterSavers, told CNN. “There have been meetings with workers and human resources where the workers had to explain what they were doing in the bathroom.”
On the other hand, not using the bathroom at all during work entitles workers to earn a gift card of up to $20 each month—$1 a day for not relieving themselves.
Employees were not amused by the policy, filing a complaint with the National Labor Relationship Board over a perceived invasion of privacy.
“I’m 61-years-old,” said Rudy Dixon, a 33-year veteran of WaterSaver. “How are you going to tell me how to use the bathroom?”
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