Rules on going to the toilet at work?

DVardysShadow

Tend to agree with ClareEmily. As the manager gave instructions :
the manager came up to me and said repeat after me, please [his name] or [team leader] please may I go to the toilet?
then go to him and even if he is with a customer and interrupt. Don't forget to say 'please' twice if that is what he instructed.

coffee_prince

Its a three hour shift, can you not hold it in?

Yeh I think the manager is beeing a real !!!!, but if she needs you to ask her, you have to do that. Don't lose a job aover going to the toilet!

SomeBozo

There are some jobs and businesses that do have a policy about loo breaks.

I have worked with businesses that due to business need, need employees who leave their post for 5 mins, to be covered by someone else. I have seen it in some call centres, factories and clinical areas (hospital wards).

It is quite reasonable for an employer to have this kind of policy in force, however the policy must be communicated to all staff and have a mechanism for leaving.

So to the OP, its reasonable to get "clearance" for the loo from a line manager (or a policy of "cover me") but this should be communicated to all staff and be clear.

To pick up a few other points :

there are several conditions that result in an urgency to visit the toilet, so it's not really reasonable to compare adults who may be suffering with one of these conditions to children.

Your right, but this should have already been communicated by the employee to the employer.


Bozo

tandraig

if you inform someone and wait til its quiet - I cant see managements prob. having worked in retail on and off for 40 years - the procedure was always - dont leave the floor without letting someone know, didnt matter who. And - cardinal rule - never ever leave in middle of serving customer. you obeyed both those rules. whats their prob? get it clarified hun , preferably in writing from HR. then you know where you stand. I do know staff who made a habit of when disappearing to check in stockroom would take a quick comfort break - but i never did this.....................good girl me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DCFC79

When ive worked in retail and on the checkouts ive always asked the 1 in charge if i could go to the toilet and i was told yes if if were quiet or not yet and they would get someone to cover me, when not working on the till id normally just go to teh toilet when needed and didnt inform a anyone

moongarden

Obukit wrote: »

Trust me, for a team leader there's nothing more embarrassing than your manager asking where a member of staff is and you having to say you don't have a clue - and this is the position you are putting your TL/AM in.

As a previous team leader and middle manager if my boss ever asked where someone was and I didn't know I would say they I had just let them nip to the loo or that they were fetching something for me. Then I would go and look for them.

moongarden

And due to my nature any manager of mine who said "Now repeat after me..." and wasn't joking would probably not get the desired result

This thread has just reminded me that when my sister worked in a call centre you had to put your hand up like a primary school child and wait till the TL came over when they had finished their call. Oh and the toilets were locked so you had to take the key with you and the key ring was an A4 bit of wood painted up with TOILET on it!! rofl you couldn't even hide it in your pocket so everyone knew where you were going.:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

The girl sitting next to her got the worst deal - she got her period and knew she needed to go asap so she put her hand up and waited 6-7 minutes by which time her clothes were soaked and she had to go home with a cardi tied round her - awful.

tandraig

well i am glad you put in about periods moongarden - that is a perfectly valid reason for nipping straight to loo - but most blokes dont consider this! I didnt want to mention periods - in my post - as I was brought up a bit old-fashioned and wouldnt dream of talking bout them in front of men! but - saying that i remember one factory job where i had really heavy period and had to go to loo virtually every hour on the hour - and (male) manager came storming up to me and loudly asked me why i needed to go that often. in dead silence i had to tell him was because i needed to change sanitary pad. ROFL the whole section started jeering him (was all female workforce) and he went bright red and scurried away. Lesson to male managers - dont ask if you dont want to know answer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tiddlywinks

ClareEmily wrote: »

I think you should every hour wave your arm around like a loony and at the top of your voice shout I NEED THE LOO CAN I GO PLEASEEE I'M BUSTING, they are treating you like a child, start acting like one. Sounds like you work with some idiots with no common sense, everyone should be relieved so they can have a 2 min break.

Even though this approach is tempting, and is amusing to think about, in practice it will just escalate the matter rather than clear the air.

The suggestion about speaking to HR is a good one.

Also, do you have team meetings where this could be raised?

I would say that if your manager needs you to OK a comfort break with him/ her then there needs to be an agreed process to support this wish and (s)he needs to be available to give "permission" in a timely fashion; otherwise a delay would be unacceptable as this then becomes a health and safety matter.

Good luck

Tiddly

Sueinbirmingham

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