I think people should be allowed up to half an hour. That's more than reasonable time to take a dump. If you need more time due to problems, warn a manager first just so they know where you are and why you are taking so long.

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Practicing the ancient Chinese art of double flushing... because sometimes, a single flush just isn't enough.

I'm assuming that these workers also get one half-hour and two fifteen-minute breaks per shift. As someone who has worked on production lines in the past, and been a supervisor of people who worked on production lines, that's plenty for 90% of healthy adults. Yes, there is the occasional time when even a healthy adult has to let the brown cows out of the barn at an unscheduled time. On a line, that just means that everyone else picks up the slack until the pooper returns. For the line supervisor, when someone is abusing the privileges, that means that everyone else has to work harder and whines about it, or, if the line is shut down, that people catch shit for possibly not meeting production goals. It's a no-win situation. I don't think it's at all unreasonable for a company to require that employees keep their unscheduled breaks to ten minutes or so total, or maybe twenty flexible minutes per shift at max. To me, that's generous. It shouldn't have to be that way, but unfortunately, there are a lot of people who abuse systems and constraints have to be put in place. Of course, for those with chronic colon conditions, medical waivers signed by a (real!) doctor should be accepted. You can't punish the people who have to worry about shitting in their pants all the time. Anyone else can learn to hold it.

I think that most people can do business off the clock and not worry about it. A fifteen minute bathroom stop ON the clock is also not unreasonable. I don't think there should be special privileges to healthy people who can hold it for a while. If you have diagnose prostate problems, are diabetic, are on diaretics for some sort of condition, or are pregnant, you will need more breaks for this.

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Broccoli!

I say issue them a pair of Depends, and get back to work!

Bah, humbug.

I cringe at the thought at just working at a hog slaughtering plant.

But, this article brings up a really important thought, and that is how can one measure what's the proper time and length of a poop?

Nice job, GGG.

Don't eat pork.

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.....hugging bunnies since 1969
www.daphneszoo.com

As a follow-up, yesterday at work, I had a 6-hour shift. I chose to work through and not take a lunch, but 2 10-minute breaks. As I drove up to the building, I already had to poop, but there were already people waiting outside(vultures!), so I knew I'd have to wait.

2 1/2 hours later, I began to shift uncomfortably, and finally someone was able to, hah!, relieve me. I clocked out, walked down the hall to the jane (5 sec), washed and dried my hands (15 sec), did my business, washed and dried my hands again (15 sec), walked back up the hall (5 sec), and clocked back in.

Eleven minutes.

And that was while under the duress of knowing I had to get back in 10. So I made it, but that was my whole break. If I wanted a cup of coffee, or a snack, or to make a phone call, I'd have to wait until my 2nd break.

That being said, though, with 2 10's and a 1/2-hour lunch in a single (8-hour) shift, there doesn't seem to be a need for extra breaks.

If you start at 8, break at 1030, lunch at 1, break at 4, I don't see why you'd need extra bathroom breaks. Even a quickie wash-hands-just-pee-wash-hands-again takes only an average of about 90 seconds.

If someone has to be in the bathroom longer than that, IN ADDITION to their 3 break opportunities, then they should be placed in an office environment where production would not be slowed by their absence.

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Santa Caca!

Working with certain food animals usually makes you not want to eat them. I know what happens with hogs, cattle, turkeys, chickens, etc. but I still eat them. They have yet to hurt me, so why care? They have strict sanitation policies.

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Practicing the ancient Chinese art of double flushing... because sometimes, a single flush just isn't enough.

GGG has a good point. Thank you for saying it so I didn't have to.

In my job, no one cares if I leave to take a dump, go to Manhattan Bagel, or do other things while I'm on the job, so long as they get their lighting to work. I have a problem, I tell them they don't get lights/sound.

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"KOC -- the Cool Crapper" - Rat Droppings

I think that employees should revolt if their toidie visits are even timed!
Poop on!

-Poopgirl

OK, here goes. I have an employee I supervise who has a habit of either borrowing books from the office bookshelf (which belong to another employee) or taking one of the company newspapers and going into the bathroom for up to 20 minutes at a time (sometimes longer) in the afternoons. This happens quite frequently. The only bathroom on this floor is a locked one, is unisex, and is a single restroom. I think the fact it is a single restroom makes it a little too comfy. I have seen him do this, and sometimes he comes and gets the books off the shelf right outside my office.

I have tried to anonymously take care of this problem (for all I know he has medical issues) by posting a sign in the bathroom, which mostly only several of us use, stating that office books & papers should be not taken into the loo, that no one wants to read books & papers that have been in there, and that office protocol prohibits hanging out reading. well, he is still doing it. When he's in there, I can't use the restroom for the time he's in there Plus the time it takes the fan to clear things out. So should I just say something to him, or send him an email? Can I get in trouble legally for doing this?

I am never in there for more than a minute or two.

He has plenty of other bad work habits for which I could fire him in a heartbeat anyway. I think this behavior is quite crude. He is the kind of person who would read this web site, so maybe he will see this and get the message. More likely not, however.

What to do?

I would start knocking on the door after a few minutes and ask how much longer he's going to be. I'm not aware of anything under the Americans with Disabilities Act that would require reading materials in the bathroom as an "accommodation"; indeed, you raise a very valid point about sanitary concerns for other people. Not knowing what kind of "reading material" you're talking about, I can't advise you how to restrict his access to it, but maybe moving the books away from the bathroom door would make it a less tempting target.

The problem is, you, like most office workers, are just too darned nice and nonconfrontational! But as a supervisor, you have an obligation to other employees and to the company not to let this guy get away with special treatment. Share your concerns with him, politely but firmly, but tell him that it is time for him to shit or get off the pot as far as his job is concerned, and that he will have to provide you with a doctor's excuse if he continues to spend more than his fair share of time on the crapper.

Oh--DON'T do this via email. I am a lawyer, and I've found that email is a really pernicious evidentiary tool--easily altered, and you never know who is being bcc'ed on things. On the other hand, after you've (hopefully) reached an understanding with this guy, DO document that in writing.

Good luck!

Yikes. I am a female. How unpleasant is that going to be to challenge him on his bathroom reading habits? How on earth do I broach this subject?

I've hinted around. I've walked out and said in the hallway "is someone still in the bathroom"? I've even asked him if someone is still in there when he comes out - is there a student tying up the bathroom?

He has a flexible schedule. He could drive home if he really needs to spend all that time.

Have you gotten complaints from other workers that he's hogging the john? If so, maybe they'd help you. My personality is passive-agressive, so what I'd probably do is buy a little timer, and set it for 10 minutes. After another minute, if he didn't come out, I'd find the next available person to knock on the door and say in a desperate voice, "C'mon, man! How much longer? I gotta GO!" If it didn't work at first, I'd up the ante and say something about "female issues" through the door.

If you did this EVERY SINGLE TIME he went in there, with a different person knocking each time, he'd eventually get the message. It wouldn't be peaceful, anymore. If he does it more than once a day, I'd start lessening the time frame by 2 minutes every trip. By the 3rd trip of the day, he'd be down to 6 minutes before I sent someone knocking.
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Mmmm...Fiber: Nature's Broom!

We have no toilet hogging at our work, for the guys anyway. Our hopper is in a 2 1/2 foot by 5 foot room just outside the entrance door - baking in summer and freezing in winter. No-one stays long.

The women, however, have a cosy 7 foot by six foot shitter inside.

Discrimination or what?

Its one thing to have 'bad days' where you got the shits, I mean we have all been there. Its another when its blatently being abused. Sort of like smokers. Not that I care they smoke, but going out for a smoke every hour for 10 minutes. Thats abuse in my opinion. But to tell someone 'you can only use the bathrooms on breaks' is absured. If a certain employee that is considered in reasnable health is often in the head they should have a verbal warning for the first offence, a write up for the second OR get a doctors note. Its no diffrent than wasting time on the internet, talking around the water cooler, "Zoneing out".
But this all goes out the window if they are on top of their duties and its not impacting others. Or so is my quarter on this topic.

How's this sound? Would this be a safe email (from a legal perspective)? It doesn't say exactly what I mean, but he should get the message without any liability for limiting breaks (and he gets PLENTY of breaks, internet time, etc.):

Dear ____

If you need to take long reading breaks that exceed a reasonable length of time, please use your flexible work schedule to leave early and go home. Also, don't read ________'s books or the office newspapers except at your desk. I've hinted around long enough. It's disrespectful of others to disappear for 15 and up minutes at a time in a small office with limited facilities.

If there is a medical issue, please bring a doctor's note.

Thank you.

To quote The Dumpster: "Oh--DON'T do this via email. I am a lawyer, and I've found that email is a really pernicious evidentiary tool--easily altered, and you never know who is being bcc'ed on things."

And as for my two cents on the OP's issue, as long as bathroom breaks aren't being abused, I don't think that any kind of limitations should be imposed. I work eight or ten hour shifts, and I take care of doodies (if neccessary) when I take my cigarette breaks...two on an eight hour shift, three on a ten.
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Yes, those are my brown spots. Yes, those are your walls.

Hmmm, so 20 minutes tying up a restroom so no one else can use it is OK?

I think you have a special circumstance on your hands, if there's only one stall for a group of people. Perhaps you're getting *ahem* bogged down in the details, such as the reading material issue. You're making it too complicated. The whole memo, sign, confrontation mess is more trouble than you need to go to, at least at first.

I reiterate my suggestion that everyone just BUG THE HELL OUT OF HIM every time he's in there longer than, say, 11 minutes. (grin)

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Mmmm...Fiber: Nature's Broom!

AC, if you are replying to me, let me point something out to you that I mentioned in my post.

[quote]as long as bathroom breaks aren't being abused[/quote]Tying up the sole toilet for twenty minutes at a time, more than twice a day is something that I would consider abuse.

And if you are assuming that I'm suggesting that you not confront him/her, I merely quoted Dumpster for his legal advise on not using email when you do write to him/her. If I were you, I'd use the exact sample letter you gave, but print it out and leave it on his/her desk.

HFD
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Yes, those are my brown spots. Yes, those are your walls.

I feel that provided that the employees are not abusing time, they should have unlimited time in the restroom.

For example, someone with a medical condition, should not have a time limit placed upon them. However, if people are just going in there to shoot the shit (no pun intended), then they should have their time monitored, and explain if they go over their limit.
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"-55F, a new record low? Nope, thermometer went bad. Looks like -50F still stands"

There is definitely something Orwellian about timing bathroom breaks. Of course, someone can't be gone for hours a day in there. Imagine Lucy or Ethel trying to chase down those chocolates on the assembly line in-between trips to the john.

Which brings up an interesting question: what does an assembly line do when one of its workers in the progression has an emergency? Does someone step in and perform their task, or does that particular line have to wait for that person's return?

It would be ideal if everyone on an assembly line could cooperate and go to the bathroom on their break, but we all know how bladders and bowels work, don't we?

Obstinate little cusses with their own sense of timing, aren't they?

Pulling My Pants Down For Peace, Plop and Posterity!

So I have IBS and my work is giving me a hard time cause well I have to go a lot sometimes. working in a call center on the phone means every minute I am on the phone is $$ in there pocket I have given two Dr. Notes now telling them I need to use the bathroom and now they are saying that is not good enough. What to do? rp

well, you could find a new job. that one might not be best for someone with your condition. and they sound like assholes anyway. but if you must stay for some reason, they can't fire you for having a health condition. if they do, you can sue them.
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i love poop.

AC, what to do? Depends.