Company nit picking over toilet use

Manager LoveHandles

At my company there are rules that you're supposed to let the supervisor (or someone on the production line) know if you're going to go to the bathroom. Anyway there's this fella who's the line leader and he's a bit of a control freak. So since he's noticed that I'm going to the toilet without asking, it's now become his full time hobby to try and catch me. I can feel the guy watching. The first day he caught me I was later called in for "quality training" with one of the hygiene ladies by the supervisor. I new that he told the supervisor though.

Yesterday after I made a production error, a little later the supervisor called me into the office. Then the manager and the supervisor brought me down to the end of a corridor and into a quite dark boiler room. I actually didn't know what was beyond the doorway until I walked in. The supervisor stood inside the room and the manager leaned to one side of the doorway. I didn't feel threatened, and it might have been the only place the go that was out of hear shot from others in the office, but it was an unusual
setting none the less.

The supervisor, who is usually reasonable, was quite the asshole in front of the manager. They complained about what time I go to the toilet. The last few days I've found, that by coincidence, that I needed to go about 30 to 45 mins after lunch. They said that it seems planned, and then told me that I should try and use the bathroom during the break. I told them that's it's none of their business what time I need to go to the toilet and that I had let the supervisor know (which I did). Also, the break is half an hour, but it's really 25 minutes as we have to dress/undress in our time.

During this they also complaining that someone had seen me another time, throw a apple core into the bushes between the factory and the farmer's field. The manager then made up a story that the farmer complains to the company and that he has to get someone to clean up the rubbish on the hill (an area with saplings and thorns) between the factory and the field. Things didn't really end the way they wanted and they walked off.

The supervisor later spoke to me on the floor and informed me that I now have a meeting on Monday morning with two more senior people and that manager himself too. The supervisor went to say "look I have a job to do, I have my boss and he's watching me too". I told him to tell the manager that there mightn't be any need because I was planning on handing in my week's notice and that I could go a week earlier. I also told him about the creepy line leader and he eventually admitted that he knew what I meant. But I don't think that means much if the company is trying to get rid of me. I'm not going to bother attending that meeting... no point in going in with three against one just to be spoken down to. Though they might want to be sure I'm leaving if they are going to cancel the meeting.

But something about this monitoring of my toilet use all of a sudden makes me feel like I'm in a prison. I'd have a good mind to complain about it and say that I felt intimidated in that boiler room. I did plan on handing in my one week's notice on Monday morning (& arranged holidays for part of next week), so it's a pity I couldn't make it through my final Friday without an issue.

Manager LoveHandles

Everyone hates the line leader, but he's a hard worker. It seems as if that even though he doesn't know how to work people, that he's still climbing the ladder because he's a hard work, and possibly because he's a rat too. He only cares about production pass though. I've seen him package cheese that was partially dirty and cutting the good section of a mouldy block to send off the stores. Managers will always takes his side and he seems to get along with them. Yet you wouldn't be seeing any managers hanging around him in their spare time if you know what I mean.

Manager LoveHandles

Manager LoveHandles wrote: »

.But something about this monitoring of my toilet use all of a sudden makes me feel like I'm in a prison. I'd have a good mind to complain about it and say that I felt intimidated in that boiler room.

I’d have a good mind to give you the sack.

questionmark?

JayZeus wrote: »

I’d have a good mind to give you the sack.

Why would you give the OP the sack for going to the toilet?

Pelvis

JayZeus wrote: »

I’d have a good mind to give you the sack.

It's a good thing you'll likely never progress enough to have that responsibility.

Avatar MIA

Bringing you to a dark boiler room seems strange for sure.

Pointing out the nationality of someone is unnecessary and is troll 101. Not saying it's the case here, but will likely reduce the amount of responses you'll get. To get as rounded a story as possible...

1. Did you litter?
2. What else did they talk to you about at the boiler room meeting or was it just your toilet habits?

Finally, what you've posted here is detailed enough to identify you if read by any of the participants.

Pelvis

Pelvis wrote: »

It's a good thing you'll likely never progress enough to have that responsibility.

You keep saying that, if the ‘thanks’ you get here help you feel better about yourself.

KevinCavan

If they want you out, the reality is you are better off leaving. They have taken a disliking to you for some reason. You would be better off making s fresh start somewhere else. Monitoring your toilet breaks is petty though. If you are only there a few months you have no rights under employment law, you would have to be there a year. Some people are masters at licking the bosses hole and get away with murder because of it. You are probably like me, somebody who was never into treating the boss as a king.

Manager LoveHandles

Avatar MIA wrote: »

Bringing you to a dark boiler room seems strange for sure.

Pointing out the nationality of someone is unnecessary and is troll 101. Not saying it's the case here, but will likely reduce the amount of responses you'll get. To get as rounded a story as possible...

1. Did you litter?
2. What else did they talk to you about at the boiler room meeting or was it just your toilet habits?

Finally, what you've posted here is detailed enough to identify you if read by any of the participants.

Yes they spoke about the apple core* and the production error in the boiler room too. It was an apple core for Christ's sake. It's out of sight and it will be gone within a week.

I felt his nationality would be the easiest way for readers to keep track of him.

gwalk

So you didn't feel threatened.... but you're going to complain and say you felt intimidate?

best get your best compo face out in case there is a photo op

seamus

Manager LoveHandles wrote: »

Yes they spoke about the apple core* and the production error in the boiler room too. It was an apple core for Christ's sake. It's out of sight and it will be gone within a week.

Once you get yourself on the radar, then you're going to get pulled up on everything.

I'd lose my mind there in about two days, it sounds like bloody school, but they have their rules and their processes. And you seem pretty apathetic about keeping to them, so of course they're going to pick you out and sit on you.

I've never worked in manufacturing, but I imagine that a big part of making the line work properly is ensuring that it's adequately staffed at all times. Thus the need to ensure the line leader/supervisor knows who is where, so they can maintain throughput.

Other people get to bend the rules because they don't take the piss. You take the piss (literally), so they don't give you an inch.

The boiler room thing sounds odd, but like you say it may have been for privacy - "the office" sounds like it's relatively public, and they may have been concerned that there could have been raised voices, so they brought you somewhere private instead.

I'd just quit tbh. It sounds like you don't suit this workplace.

Xterminator

Hi OP

join a union. is there anyone in the workplace already in a union? join that one.

Brregzit

seamus wrote: »

Once you get yourself on the radar, then you're going to get pulled up on everything.

I'd lose my mind there in about two days, it sounds like bloody school, but they have their rules and their processes. And you seem pretty apathetic about keeping to them, so of course they're going to pick you out and sit on you.

I've never worked in manufacturing, but I imagine that a big part of making the line work properly is ensuring that it's adequately staffed at all times. Thus the need to ensure the line leader/supervisor knows who is where, so they can maintain throughput.

Other people get to bend the rules because they don't take the piss. You take the piss (literally), so they don't give you an inch.

The boiler room thing sounds odd, but like you say it may have been for privacy - "the office" sounds like it's relatively public, and they may have been concerned that there could have been raised voices, so they brought you somewhere private instead.

I'd just quit tbh. It sounds like you don't suit this workplace.

I went along to that meeting yesterday.

I had words with that manager (on the floor) yesterday beforehand it though... I said that I wanted the boiler room meeting to be noted in the incident report book and that I wanted to see it first. I also told him that I wanted to bring another employee in to represent me or else I wasn't going to show up. They sent a different supervisor down to call me out. When I went out to reception the senior manager deflected when I asked about the incident report book, but I said that I wanted to bring someone to represent me and he said okay.

That other manager was kept out of the meeting. Instead it was the CEO and the manager of that manager! When the CEO entered the room, she was surprised that the boiler room manager wasn't there, and that, instead there was this other employee there (who she'd had run ins with before). While I was dishing the dirt on the hygiene lady, the senior manager asked if I could verify what happened. When he wanted verification, he asked the other employee to speak. The CEO tried to stop him, but the manager allowed him. She didn't like that at all!

Today in the canteen, the other employee was taking the piss with an apple core. He held it up in the air so that the the hygiene lady could see, and asked her where should he put it.

Avatar MIA

Brregzit wrote: »

That manager was kept out of the meeting. Instead it was the CEO and the manager of that manager!

Sorry, it was the CEO that took you to task?

Okay, don't be waiting around for an employee of the month award.

It wasn't a formal disciplinary meeting, so no need for the disciplinary procedure I.e having a witness. You've not mentioned you were given a "verbal" warning.

However, you're definitely on someone's radar.

NIMAN

Imagine working in a company where one adult has to tell another adult that they are away to the loo?

What century are we living in?

Avatar MIA

NIMAN wrote: »

Imagine working in a company where one adult has to tell another adult that they are away to the loo?

What century are we living in?

There's surely a Shawshank gif due...

Brregzit

Avatar MIA wrote: »

Sorry, it was the CEO that took you to task?

Okay, don't be waiting around for an employee of the month award.

It wasn't a formal disciplinary meeting, so no need for the disciplinary procedure I.e having a witness. You've not mentioned you were given a "verbal" warning.

However, you're definitely on someone's radar.

I had no idea what the meeting was going to involve before I went in.

The CEO sat in and took notes, while me and the senior manager spoke. She also told the other employee that neither him or her were to speak. Some other previous disagreements I'd had also came up and I landed some other employees in some serious ****.

Brregzit

NIMAN wrote: »

Imagine working in a company where one adult has to tell another adult that they are away to the loo?

What century are we living in?

It's apparently for H&S.

Mc Kenzie 1988

To narrow it all down

You threw an applecore into a feild and went to the loo a few times............Need I say more!

Before anything its a feckin applecore it biodegradable hardly littering
and isnt using to loo a human right!

Ugh it absoloutely kills me to hear and see oppressive behaviour in work places and sad to hear that you either leave or just put your head down and do what your told. The very unfortunate part is that having a voice in a big organisation can backfire on you.


No one needs that BS!
Take the high road and enjoy sir!

Mc Kenzie 1988

NIMAN wrote: »

Imagine working in a company where one adult has to tell another adult that they are away to the loo?

What century are we living in?

Exactly! shouldnt this be a right

NIMAN

Brregzit wrote: »

It's apparently for H&S.

Sorry, there's no justifying it.

Avatar MIA

Mc Kenzie 1988 wrote: »

To narrow it all down

You threw an applecore into a feild and went to the loo a few times............Need I say more!

Before anything its a feckin applecore it biodegradable hardly littering
and isnt using to loo a human right!

Ugh it absoloutely kills me to hear and see oppressive behaviour in work places and sad to hear that you either leave or just put your head down and do what your told. The very unfortunate part is that having a voice in a big organisation can backfire on you.


No one needs that BS!
Take the high road and enjoy sir!

Sorry, you're right, shur might as well throw all my bio waste on your front garden. Corporate image be damned.

And yes, you work on an assembly line where the process depends on your presence, then yes you need to ask permission so your absence is managed. And if that doesn't sit well with you, then back to college you go and get a profession.

fryup

c'mon now OP.....confess, are you to the toilets to have a quick "tommy tank" ?

seamus

Mc Kenzie 1988 wrote: »

Exactly! shouldnt this be a right

It is a right to have access to a toilet and be able to use. But it is not a right to go whenever you feel like it.

They're all adults, so they should be able to go use the toilet at the end of their break to ensure that they don't get caught short in the middle of a shift.

Toilet training 101.

Genuine emergencies aside, some types of work are dependent on having a quota of workers on the floor working at a given time. Good example - working on a checkout. They can't just stand up and walk off to the toilet. They have to call a supervisor and ask to be relieved. If there isn't anyone to relieve them, they have to wait. Because the proper function of the business requires that the checkouts are adequately staffed.

The way the OP describes it, it sounds incredibly childish, but it also sounds like the OP has been giving everyone a pain in the hole by ignoring process and procedure because it doesn't suit him.

Nody

Mod:
Please note the OP has been site banned for multiple accounts and chances are quite high this was another piss take by a troll I'm afraid.

Avatar MIA

Nody wrote: »

Mod:
Please note the OP has been site banned for multiple accounts and chances are quite high this was another piss take by a troll I'm afraid.

The thread finally makes sense :pac:

Although...

Avatar MIA wrote: »

Pointing out the nationality of someone is unnecessary and is troll 101.

_Brian

So from what I can see this all kicked off because you wouldn’t let someone know you were leaving your post, as is the company policy to do.

Really, you can’t see that the company has rules, you either abide by them or negotiate to have the rule changed, what you don’t have is the option to go off on a solo run and choose which company policy you want to platently ignore yourself.

Avatar MIA

_Brian wrote: »

So from what I can see this all kicked off because you wouldn’t let someone know you were leaving your post, as is the company policy to do.

Really, you can’t see that the company has rules, you either abide by them or negotiate to have the rule changed, what you don’t have is the option to go off on a solo run and choose which company policy you want to platently ignore yourself.

I refer my honourable fellow Boardsie to post 25.

Squatter

Nody wrote: »

Mod:
Please note the OP has been site banned for multiple accounts and chances are quite high this was another piss take by a troll I'm afraid.

Was the piss take approved by his supervisor, or was it an unapproved piss take?

If the latter, then clearly he needs to be suspended.

Avatar MIA

???

Best to close the thread

Tar.Aldarion

Surely drinking at your break means that you will be wanting to go to the toilet a while after?

Reminds me of a tech place that monitors how long you spend in the toilet so that you don't go over your toilet minutes allocated to you, or another that you clock in and out to go to the toilet :rolleyes:

Nody

Squatter wrote: »

Was the piss take approved by his supervisor, or was it an unapproved piss take?

If the latter, then clearly he needs to be suspended.

It was grade A certified piss verified by the company approved laboratory to ensure it met the required standards.

Women without Makeup

Since I don't think it would really be considered a health and safety issue, I guess his only avenue for you would be to bring the matter to court. And it's not likely worth the hassle.

tedpan

Women without Makeup wrote:

Since I don't think it would really be considered a health and safety issue, I guess his only avenue for you would be to bring the matter to court. And it's not likely worth the hassle.

Why are reopening this?

Avatar MIA

tedpan wrote: »

Why are reopening this?

He's taking the piss!

tedpan

Avatar MIA wrote:

He's taking the piss!

I get that lol. This is a troll thread.

Alrigghtythen

Working on a production line your other colleagues have to pick up the slack when you head off for a toilet break (if you have to get changed and all ~20mins).