to think having to ask my manager if I can fo for a wee is just wrong?

[KayloHalo]

I'm sorry I just don't agree with this.

I work in a call centre and if anyone needs a wee you have to wait until there are no calls in the queue and then ask your manager if you can please go and urinate before you make a puddle!

It doesn't matter what time of the month it is either. Or if you're pregnant apparently

I'm sorry, as you may guess I am currently pregnant and more than a little hormonal!!!!

I know this is a different story, but when I worked at a certain high street clothes shop, I once dared to ask if I could keep a bottle of water behind the till as I was feeling sick and dizzy, and got told no as the policy was 'no food or drink' I think it's common place in these types of jobs (retail, call centres, catering) for managers and supervisors to be absolute fuckwits on a power trip

agree yummyorslummy add bar managers to that list too. have worked under some right numpties when I was a waitress/barmaid when at University.

You're just a glorified bar person ffs!!

If you are pregnant and being refused when you ask to go to the toilet then that is totally out of order and you should be noting instances when they do it and approaching HR/union etc.

Do you have a union?

Nope, no union.

Thank you for the hazards.org website - have emailed it to my colleagues so everyone knows their rights.

Haven't sent it to managers yet - will take the issue up with my t/l before I start trying to take over

Thanks Again!

Good luck with it kaylo. If I were you I would be really angry/upset as well. Saying a pg woman can't use the toilet FGS ridiculous.

I think I would be inclined to go anyway, let them try and prevent me and then have them done for assault

Fibilou I'm of that opinion as well but having been dragged in the office once already I'm not keen to encourage them on further disciplinary measures.

Thanks NotTelling, I wouldn't mind so much if the t/l's around didn't take the piss by chatting for half hour at a time in the kitchen/coffee making area, either with eachother or on their mobile phones (which we're not meant to use ).

Fingers crossed all goes smoothly. Feel better about it all actually knowing that what they're doing is wrong - I had assumed it was right as it's a solicitors firm that I work (I'm not in the legal team but still).

I would be inclined to wet myself in my chair.

That means I am passive agressive, i think! Or possibly mad...

Oh my goodness. I would not have been able to cope with this at all whilst I was pregnant - I went for a wee at work about every half hour .

I did a temp job as a receptionist once and got told off for going to the toilet. I phoned to ask for cover a couple of time and no one came and I was not prepared to wet my pants in reception.

"Fibilou I'm of that opinion as well but having been dragged in the office once already I'm not keen to encourage them on further disciplinary measures. "

That would be fascinating at an employment tribunal....

Was manager of a large call center for 5 years - suggest OP get note from Doc or Midwife and present to HR if really having problems with managers.

Re people who work in call centers don't care is in a lot of case true - not many see it as a long term job, so have a casual attitude. Many students/young people use it as a fill in job. The rules tend to be made for thease people.

As for paying peanuts - many pay a good wage for light indoor work compared to somthing like care work.

How much you ie the consumer are prepared to pay for services is also reflected in the pay

Call centers are in my experiance much better to work in than many factories

I read in the book "Nickel and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich (about low paid workers in the USA) ..."that until 1998 there was no federal mandated right to bathroom (i.e.toilet) breaks ... so far example a factory worker not allowed a break for 6 hours voided into pads worn inside her uniform"

Eeeew!

could you ask for some Time Off in Loo?

kaylo I'm sorry I haven't caught up on the whole thread, but as part of my pregnancy Risk Assesment (which all employers shoudl do) it was recorded that I should be allowed more breaks and adequate access to toilet facilities. You can take this up with your employers.

Apologies if this repeats anything already posted. I feel for you

Brioche I agree with you on the pay scheme. I was a carer in a residential home and was paid £5.75 per hour.
Here I am on salary and paid £15k a year plus small bonus.

So definitely pays better although I have found that the care home was a better employer to work for.

Poly That is soooo wrong

Having to ask to go to the toilet is not appropriate: frankly if you can't trust your staff over such a basic issue don't employ them.

However as an adult people should take responsibility for themselves and endeavour to ensure that you do not need to use the toilet more often than your breaks allow: There are plenty of jobs where you can't just nip off to the loo at a moments notice.

12 minutes an hour in a 3 hour shift?

Does it really take you 12 minutes to go to the loo, CheeseOnToast?

I think you should be allowed to go to the toilet when you need to go. DH had a similar ridiculous thing in a call centre he used to work at - you had so many minutes to go to the toilet. His poor colleague had a stomach bug one day and had to explain why he'd been more than his allocated 3 minutes...