Going to the bathroom can be a brief rest from a stressful workday. But, what do you do when your boss says absolutely no restroom breaks during work hours? Do you ignore your boss or just try to hold it all day?
An anonymous employee took to Reddit to share his bathroom break woes after his boss banned him from any toilet breaks during nine-hour shifts. Let’s get into the details to see who was really in the wrong here.
The scoop on the no poop rule:
An anonymous employee shared that he got a second warning from his boss for leaving his workstation. Keep in mind, he works from home and says he only walks away to use the restroom.
His boss, however, says that leaving his computer for longer than ten minutes is unacceptable, and, according to the Reddit post, said, “Eight to five, you can not leave your desk. I am watching your screen.”
Does the boss have it out for him specifically?
In his Reddit post, the employee explained that others on his team take breaks throughout the day, sometimes for up to a half hour. Since no one on the team appears to get in trouble for short breaks, the boss might have it out for him.
Why is he so worried about this guy’s bathroom breaks?
The employee took the issue to HR…
With his boss on his back for bathroom time, the employee reported the boss to HR for harassment.
But, after doing so, he worried he might be overreacting. He also noted in the Reddit post that he’s a top employee on his team who leaves late and doesn’t take much vacation time.
Was he right to go to HR?
The question on the Redditor’s mind was, “Was I right to report him?”
While the no-bathroom-breaks-allowed employee may be worried about his job, many Reddit users had opinions on the situation and were more than happy to share their advice. Here’s what they had to say.
“Isn’t it an OSHA violation?”
Many commenters noted that it’s against the law not to let employees use the bathroom. In fact, OSHA says, “Employers must: Allow workers to leave their work locations to use a restroom when needed.”
We have to wonder what this boss would be like if the job wasn’t remote! Would bathroom breaks be allowed then?
Others told him to stop working so hard!
Other commentators told the employee he needed to take his vacation days and stop doing more for the company without being paid. After all, if they don’t even let him use the restroom, he should get to take his vacation days!
At least on vacation, he can sit on the porcelain throne as long as he wants…
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Is the boss trying to get him to quit?
Another Reddit user pointed out that the boss may be trying to make him quit. This tactic could be to make the work environment so miserable and unfair that he quits to get away.
Because it does seem rather ridiculous to care if someone has to go number two once in a while while on the clock.
Almost everyone agrees: The boss is a jerk
Pretty much everyone on Reddit agrees that the guy’s boss is kind of the worst. Whatever the reasons he won’t allow bathroom breaks all day, they definitely aren’t justified.
While it’s hard to get Redditors to come to a consensus, this time they say the employee is right for complaining to HR.
What would you do with a boss like that?
If your boss banned bathroom breaks, what would you do? Would you take it up with HR? Would you try to spite your boss by taking as many breaks as possible? Or, would you just hold it all day?
We want to know your thoughts. Please share them in the comments!
