Discussions

There isn't any laws regarding bathroom breaks. Beyond your 2-15 min and 30 min lunch in an 8 hour day what would be acceptable in the amount of times a worker goes to the washroom? There are no medical issues lets say.

I think that’s all one person would need. Every now and then life happens but this shouldn’t be a normal situation.

well allowing the person to use the washroom is a lot easier than cleaning up the mess if they don't.  
 
Is the employee getting their work done? If so, does it matter?

dueindecember said "well allowing the person to use the washroom is a lot easier than cleaning up the mess if they don't.     Is the employee getting their work done? If so, does it matter? "

There are some medications that make you go to the bathroom much more than normal. I am not sure of the actual name of it, but I know a few people who are on a "water pill".  
 
So yes, there could be medical issues.  
 
copied: Frequent urination can also develop as a habit. However, it can be a sign of kidney or ureter problems, urinary bladder problems, or another medical condition, such as diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, pregnancy, or prostate gland problems. Other causes or related factors i:nclude: anxiety.  
 
One of the first signs of diabetes - drinking lots of water and going to the bathroom a lot.  
 
Really, if you have to go, you have to go....  
 
 
(sorry dueindecember didn't mean to quote you)  
 
Edited by Brenda.., 2018-12-06 08:17:34

Medical issues then I would say a person should be able to go on their 2 15s and 30 min. No reason why an healthy adult couldn’t hold it . That being said if they are having bathroom problems that may increase but hey I’ve always told my supervisor that hey I’m not feeling to well and may need to use the bathroom more frequently.

Ford and the union have struggled with this same issue over the years. At one point the union talked Ford into allowing 48 minutes of bathroom breaks for each hourly paid employee in an 8 hour shift.

We are being forever told to drink lots of water, which of course would make you go to the bathroom more.  
 
I see many people now always with a water bottle.  
 
Are these allowed at their work stations to stay hydrated while working?

The 2 15 minute breaks actually aren’t law. As for bathroom for a humans right you really can’t tell them no. What’s acceptable it’s harder to say. But at least once every two hours is about normal.

RainaRo said "The 2 15 minute breaks actually aren’t law. As for bathroom for a humans right you really can’t tell them no. What’s acceptable it’s harder to say. But at least once every two hours is about normal. "

I suggest you consult the Manitoba Labour Relations Board website to find out exactly what/what not is "the law."

hisluvmonkey said "    RainaRo said "The 2 15 minute breaks actually aren’t law. As for bathroom for a humans right you really can’t tell them no. What’s acceptable it’s harder to say. But at least once every two hours is about normal. " I suggest you consult the Manitoba Labour Relations Board website to find out exactly what/what not is "the law." "

What are the mandatory food and rest breaks?  
 
Employees must receive a 30-minute unpaid break after every 5 hours of work. This is the only break required by the Employment Standards Code. Coffee breaks, rest breaks and other meal breaks are provided at the employer's discretion.  
 
https://www.cfib-fcei.ca/en/tools-resources/Manitoba_Employment_Standards

are they allowed to have their cell phones on them while working?  
we used to have the frequent long bathroom breaks issue until employees were no longer allowed to carry their cell phones on their bodies. once we stopped that, the long frequent breaks ended.

Degenerate108 said "    hisluvmonkey said "    RainaRo said "The 2 15 minute breaks actually aren’t law. As for bathroom for a humans right you really can’t tell them no. What’s acceptable it’s harder to say. But at least once every two hours is about normal. " I suggest you consult the Manitoba Labour Relations Board website to find out exactly what/what not is "the law." " What are the mandatory food and rest breaks?     Employees must receive a 30-minute unpaid break after every 5 hours of work. This is the only break required by the Employment Standards Code. Coffee breaks, rest breaks and other meal breaks are provided at the employer's discretion.     https://www.cfib-fcei.ca/en/tools-resources/Manitoba_Employment_Standards "

Company paid breaks are actually a perk. The reason I ask is 8+ bathroom breaks outside of the paid coffee and unpaid lunch seems pretty excessive considering they run 5-15 minute.

Fishing guy. Don’t be played for a fool.  
This employee is costing you more money

Once every two hours seems like enough. Or really once every hour but it should only be two minutes not fifteen each time lol.

I talk on the phone all day long and subsequently drink water all day long as a result. On average I would say I use the bathroom 5-6 times in a working day. 3 of those times are on my breaks and above that I have to excuse myself for roughly 3 minutes per trip to use the bathroom. I don’t have any medical issues that cause me to need to use the bathroom more often but I have birthed two children which may play into how frequently I need to use the bathroom.

Fishin Guy said "    Degenerate108 said "    hisluvmonkey said "    RainaRo said "The 2 15 minute breaks actually aren’t law. As for bathroom for a humans right you really can’t tell them no. What’s acceptable it’s harder to say. But at least once every two hours is about normal. " I suggest you consult the Manitoba Labour Relations Board website to find out exactly what/what not is "the law." " What are the mandatory food and rest breaks?     Employees must receive a 30-minute unpaid break after every 5 hours of work. This is the only break required by the Employment Standards Code. Coffee breaks, rest breaks and other meal breaks are provided at the employer's discretion.     https://www.cfib-fcei.ca/en/tools-resources/Manitoba_Employment_Standards " Company paid breaks are actually a perk. The reason I ask is 8+ bathroom breaks outside of the paid coffee and unpaid lunch seems pretty excessive considering they run 5-15 minute. "

Is this person a good worker, always on time, never calls in sick?  
 
I understand as an employer you are losing a bit of time. But I can already hear if someone applied somewhere and someone said "don't apply there, all the boss does is sit and watch how often you go to the bathroom."  
 
If he/she is a good employer, is it worth the time to discipline the person, the bathroom breaks don't stop. What will be your reason for letting him go from his job? If you did, is it worth it to go through the advertising, interviewing, training....all because someone needs to use the bathroom.  
 
Do you have rules for personal cell phone useage?  
 
There are days, I am all morning and never have to go. The next day, I might have one extra coffee and I would be in there three - four times.  
 
Everyone is different.

I guess it depends what industry is being worked in. I know my boss would rather see me attempt to make it to work and try to get stuff done even if I have to make extra trips to the bathroom.  
 
A person may not seem sick but could be having issues. You would be surprised what stress can do to some people’s digestive tracks. I know when my body is stressed out, it’s reaction isn’t always a pleasant one. Just some food for thought.

Appreciate the feedback. I wouldn't mind the 8-9 breaks a day if half of those were on break time. But it gets frustrating in a small work environment when right after shift starts or breaks are over they use the bathroom. Just before I left Maple Leaf there was an issue with bathroom use and they were deducting it off your time. When it is a small work environment and people notice that one takes off every hour....well then they think it isn't fair so they start taking time too....well it just snowballs from there. I can understand a medical issue or something, or if the work was stellar and the employee was a high producer. If it was even every so often not an issue but daily is starting to get frustrating. People may think I am a prick for watching times but when there are production bonuses at stake and an hour a day has to be made up by other employees how do you think the moral is affected. There are 260 days of work. At 45 minutes a day in extra washroom breaks is 24 days a year sitting in a bathroom. Over a month a year is paid sitting in a bathroom. I do agree with others a couple quick extra times here and there would go unnoticed but this to me seems to be a little excessive.

If I have to pee, I go pee. I pee a lot. I'm never in the bsthroom longer than 2-3 minutes but I do have to go often.  
 
People who think restricted bathroom breaks are a good thing must have never been on their period. Heavy flow or leak scares may require additional bathroom stops. I think it would be cruel to restrict bathroom breaks.  
 
That being said, if someone is going every hour or two for 15 - 20 minutes at a time, baring health issues, would be a problem and likely cell phone or vanity related.

If it’s a small business on break time maybe you don’t get a chance to use the washroom because it’s busy so you have to wait. Then you go after the break starts, just a thought.

who you want to work there: the employee, or you.  
 
If this goes unchecked, it will become the norm. Productivity dropping is usually pretty important to the higher-ups.  
 
Start off with talking to the employee. That doesn't work, document them. That doesn't work, fire them. Give them lots of chances to improve/prove why.  
 
Another option, if your company will do it: fire them on the spot, pay them for termination without cause, and make it known why the employee was terminated. Everyone else should get the message.

As an employer I can say it is a bit of a problem.  
It’s not just the amount or the duration of these bathroom breaks.  
It’s the timing that often is a problem.  
There are employees that disappear in the bathroom 10 - 15 min before the coffee or lunch break. By the time the actual break starts, the guy walks out and goes straight to the lunch room. It’s not just bad for the employer, it’s simply not fair to other employees that don’t do that. The same happens after the regular breaks. Right after the lunch break one or two people disappear for 10 - 15 minutes to take a good second break in the bathroom .  
I understand, everyone has a bad day where he ate something bad or who knows what. But it’s usually the same guys at the same time.  
I used to be frustrated about this, but over the years I learned how to deal with that. This factor became quite important in the fact why some employees evolved from $13/hr to $28 within two years, while others keep taking their so badly needed dump at $15/hr. So simple.

Glamping said "are they allowed to have their cell phones on them while working?   we used to have the frequent long bathroom breaks issue until employees were no longer allowed to carry their cell phones on their bodies. once we stopped that, the long frequent breaks ended. "

We tried that as well, but it’s very hard to control.

I've worked with so many who take advantage of the employer but those people never rock the boat/brown nose/say the right things so they get ahead regardless of how much time/ they waste in 8 hours and subsequently "need" to work overtime. Then taking days off in lieu of overtime pay which again leaves the business/coworkers short on staff.  
 
One guy would take his hour lunch and return only to go to the bathroom for 20-30 minutes which left that department with no one because the other person HAD TO take his scheduled lunch break. This happened EVERY day.  
 
A coworker told me once "I do only what I have to during the day to get by and then I only do what I want when I work overtime".  
 
I've worked with smokers that are no different. Disappearing whenever they needed a smoke regardless of break rules.  
 
One woman would go for a smoke and then go to the bathroom and might come back in 30 minutes numerous times a day and not bat an eye.  
 
I've worked with two people who were terrified of driving when it was snowing so they simply stayed home even though they live and work in town.  
 
These people should be taken off salary and put on a time clock IF they are not fired. The crap they pull is not fair to the employer or their coworkers and yet, they look at it as just a pay cheque.  
 
First of all, I don't know how employees can live with themselves doing this to the hand that feeds them. Secondly, if they owned a business, would they appreciate this behaviour from staff they are paying to WORK? Lastly, why do employers keep slackers? New hires see the slack behaviour and do the same thing. Get rid of the dead wood. They don't do your business any good whatsoever and it puts additional stress on the employees that actually WORK for their pay. This includes supervisors and managers who take advantage of the company because "head office will never know".  
 
So how much time in the can at work is too much time? It depends. And I do mean Depends. Buy some and hand them out to the slackers. And get a time clock.