This shouldn't be allowed & I have ruined my life

[deli00]

I work in a call centre ( currently wfh) 12.5 hours

07.45-20.15 one 30 minute break

Im allowed personal breaks but I'm expected to tell the team when I am going for a wee , poo etc and tell them when I return on teams .

I can't cope with this set up much longer :( my back and hips hurt .

Surely it's not allowed to only have one 30 min break . Also I feel I have ruined my life going into this type of work.

My husband does 12 hour shifts and he gets an hour for breaks and he divides it however he wants during his shift. He tends to do 3 20 min breaks

@lougle I've never been in an office where you announce you're leaving your desk! So strange!
Not strange to go into a not ready code though if you work in a call centre
But strange to tell everyone why all the time

I can’t believe people are so shocked at this.

In the NHS we work 12.5hr days with a 30minute break and this is common practice throughout multiple hospitals I’ve worked in. We are allowed access to a water fountain though.

OP, can you get wireless headphones so you can move about? My daughter has ADHD and says they're amazing for listening to online school.

This is appalling, do you literally have to tell them you're going to the toilet? (I'm really hoping they don't expect you to tell them what kind of going to the toilet as well!!)

The way people are treated in workplaces these days makes my blood boil. It's all got so much worse since unions stopped being a proper force, too – employers know they can take the piss (no pun intended) and they do.

Really hope you can find something else soon OP or maybe take up the degree again if you're able?

Call centres are the mills of today....terrible working conditions, poor pay and a culture of fear.

Not all call centres are created equally

I work for a nice one too, 7.5h shifts, 1h unpaid lunch and 2 10 minute screen breaks. I don't need to tell anyone if I'm nipping to the loo or to get a drink from the kitchen.

(wfh now obviously)

@ButtWormHole

YABU to be able to poo at work

What do you mean? People need to poo when they need to poo. If that's during work time they should do it then. It's unhealthy to hold it.

My brother works/worked in a restaurant and apparently legally you are only entitled to 30 mins ever 6 hours, I think that's what he said anyway.
You definitely don't need to let them know what you are going to the toilet to do, just that you are going to the toilet.

I'm guessing @ButtWormHole was just being silly

That sucks, I worked as a receptionist and wasnt allowed to leave the desk unmanned, I had to phone into the office for someone to come out and cover me going to the loo.

One of my kids worked in a big chain coffee shop and had the same break. The days were really long and the work was very physical

I did call centre work years ago and felt chained to the fucking desk. It’s really demeaning, you’re basically a number, a product, a robot to them. Anybody NOT on the phones is just a very free human and we used to eye up the walking, moving floor managers so jealously!

I left as soon as I could.
I really feel for you!

I agree it sounds awful.

While you are still having to endure it, are there maybe some things you could do to make it better?

• I assume you don’t literally have to describe whether it’s a pee or a poo that you need. Try BRB, or “back in 5” as others have said.
• stand up every hour for a few minutes. You can still be on the headset at the computer while you do it, but a change of posture will help you not feel so stiff
• insist you are provided with a proper desk and chair, monitor and monitor arm, keyboard etc if you haven’t already been
• if you are using a laptop rather than a PC, is there any reason you couldn’t take it with you to get a cuppa while on calls?
• can you schedule your work so you are writing up notes once per hour for a few minutes to give your eyes a rest
• set an alarm for once every hour to do some stretches (so e.g. stretch at 0930, stand at 1000, stretch at 1030, stand at 1100 etc)

I know none of those are ideal, but they might help at least a little.

I regularly work 8-7 on back to back calls, but have more autonomy. There are often days when I don’t get any breaks, but doing things like getting a cuppa while on a call save my sanity, and my standing desk has saved my back.

Have they even given you a work environment assessment. If you're expected to spend the best part of your waking day parked on your arse, staring at a screen, they need to make sure you're safely parked on your arse, staring at a screen.

@Brieminewine

I can’t believe people are so shocked at this.

In the NHS we work 12.5hr days with a 30minute break and this is common practice throughout multiple hospitals I’ve worked in. We are allowed access to a water fountain though.

The issue for the OP is she feels stuck to her chair. She can't get up and walk to the other side of the room to stretch her legs for two seconds.

I know for a fact I would prefer your job, especially if it means you can be on your feet stretching your legs.

OP, there is better, much better call centre work out there. I used to work in what they called a contact centre with 8 hour shifts. It was quite similar to what yours is, being monitored constantly and expected to take back to back calls. But I've done contact centre work since which is much better, more relaxed and there is a culture of respect. The thing about taking back to back calls is that the quality just won't be there. You're tired and stressed. Please look for another job.

I work for myself and on a few days I have been so busy I have had to wee into a glass at my desk whilst on a conference call (not a video call) back in the day......

And we all know Xenia is on a 6++ figure income unlike this OP working a pittance for a call centre....

What a ridiculous self congratulatary thing to say.

I once worked in a call centre, 8.30 to 5, but similar conditions to yours. It was actual torture. I would cry on Sunday dreading it. I had to leave becuase I felt like it was killing my brain cells. Get out if you can!

@Lougle I feel uncomfortable saying nipping to the loo. I don't like telling our team of men and women that I am going to the toilet

@PickAChew no assessment

The issue for the OP is she feels stuck to her chair. She can't get up and walk to the other side of the room to stretch her legs for two seconds

I don’t understand why you have to be sat down constantly, can’t you take calls whilst walking around or be logged on whilst laying on the bed? I thought this was the joy of working from home I hear so much about! I didn’t think people were physically sat at a table unable to move for hours on end

@CherryBlossomTree7 yes that's exactly what the problem is the being chained to my desk. My back is in bits as I don't want to have to keep going on teams telling them all I'm going off for a couple of minutes . Some of the staff say things and pass it of as banter when people say they are having personal breaks for toilet stretch legs etc it's horrible

[quote deli00]@PickAChew no assessment [/quote]
You don't automatically get an assessment at our place however if you're having trouble you tell the relevant people who will then get you a desk assessment cos they have to if you're having trouble.
If you don't know who orhanises that you speak to your manager

That sucks, I worked as a receptionist and wasnt allowed to leave the desk unmanned, I had to phone into the office for someone to come out and cover me going to the loo

Yes I have worked front of house too, you can't leave the phone because it's constantly ringing and you can't leave the door because people are coming in/out, and you need to manage the phone/visitors/staff/guests all at the same time!

BUT while doing that I got a one hour lunch break and 2 short breaks in a 9 hour day for alright money with certain "perks" (team trips etc).
This call centre work described by OP is basicall reducing a human to a robot for 12 Hours.