Person Doesn’t Know How To Respond To Boss Asking Them How Many Times They Used The Bathroom
Every group of people tends to have a person or two who’s a bigger fan of restroom breaks than the rest. At this place of employment, redditor ‘Distinct-Clothes-592’ was such a person.
Taking big gulps of water in between customers made them run to the restroom at least a few times during their shift, consequently making their boss question their health. But the redditor was hesitant to discuss their bladder activity with their superior.
Some people might have to frequent the restroom more often than others for one reason or another
Image credits: Olivier Collet / pexels (not the actual photo)
This redditor was asked to report how many times they visit the restroom to their boss
Image credits: Tim Samuel / pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Distinct-Clothes-592
A person should aim to consume roughly four to six cups of water every day
Image credits: Manki Kim / pexels (not the actual photo)
There can be many reasons why some people frequent the restroom more than others. The amount of fluid one consumes alone can make a huge difference, as some people drink a lake compared to their camel-like friends (the latter might not go two weeks without water, but they typically don’t seem to hydrate themselves well either).
Harvard Health Publishing points out that a person should typically aim to consume four to six cups of plain water every day. However, the recommended intake varies with each person; it depends on consumption of other sources of fluids, the person’s age, their level of activity and overall health, as well as their surroundings, such as the temperature outside.
While we each might require different amounts of it, one thing is universal—we all need water. It keeps the body functioning properly by carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells, helping the digestive system, normalizing the blood pressure, and regulating body temperature, among other things, Harvard Health Publishing emphasizes.
People with bladder control problems can request certain accommodations at work
Image credits: Giorgio Trovato / pexels (not the actual photo)
No matter the amount of water one consumes, it’s unlikely that they would want to discuss how it affects their urinary system with their boss. The OP, too, was hesitant to expand on the matter when their superior started asking them about their bladder activity; they weren’t sure if they were required to disclose such information to their employer.
According to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), upon employment, the company can only inquire about medical-related matters if they need medical documentation to support an employee’s request for some sort of an accommodation or if the employer has reason to believe that the employee is not fit to perform their job successfully or safely because of a medical condition. Aforementioned accommodations can be requested for different reasons, including urinary incontinence—unintentional passing of urine, reportedly affecting millions of people worldwide.
According to a California-based attorney, Sharon Vinick, while each case is different and situation-dependent, people dealing with urinary incontinence are protected by law and entitled to reasonable accommodation. “There’s been a lot of evolution in the law over the last 20 years,” Vinick told Depend. “It provides protection for people with all manners of disability, including incontinence.”
The OP didn’t detail whether or not they were suffering from a medical condition, but some redditors in the comments suggested that the employer shouldn’t have asked for such information either way. A few of them also discussed some rather creative ways to best deal with the situation.
The OP shared more details in the comments
Fellow redditors discussed their views on the matter, some provided advice
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Drinking plenty of water is a good idea. However, you seem to be going overboard with it. Having to use the restroom more than twice during a three-hour shift is a bit much (speaking as someone with a diagnosed bladder problem). You might want to spread out your hydration routine just a bit. Two Big Gulps total 64 ounces; that's a lot of water to be drinking in three hours. A visit to the doctor and a glucose tolerance test may be in order as well. Your blood glucose level may be within normal, but you never can tell.
Yeah, I'm drinking ~2L a day pretty consistently, spread over ~14 hr. Drinking 64oz in 3 hr? And she's not doing like, hard outdoor labor in a hellish heat wave? She should check in with her medical providers. Hydration is good, but this is, um... a bit excessive.
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Most people can manage three hours without going to the bathroom at all if they use it before the shift. Do you really need to be chugging down so much water, you're not on a hike in the sun. Generally I would say it's rude for the boss to be monitoring this, but the frequency of your trips is unusual. Honestly, I'd probably find a replacement for you.
Would agree with almost all you say - medically it is unusual for an adult with no medical issues to need more than one toilet break in a 3 hour shift. However, getting a replacement is not on my agenda - discussing what is reasonable with the emplyee would be. (Retired Occupational Health nurse here)
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This is illegal in civilized countries. It is a form of discrimination and also an invasion of privacy. However I find myself questioning what official breaks they are being given. In a 7.5 hour day, I would expect to get two 15 minute breaks and an hour for lunch, plus as many trips to the loo as is necessary. Loo breaks are difficult if you are on a production line or staffing a checkout, but they are oblidged to get someone to relieve you!
Drinking plenty of water is a good idea. However, you seem to be going overboard with it. Having to use the restroom more than twice during a three-hour shift is a bit much (speaking as someone with a diagnosed bladder problem). You might want to spread out your hydration routine just a bit. Two Big Gulps total 64 ounces; that's a lot of water to be drinking in three hours. A visit to the doctor and a glucose tolerance test may be in order as well. Your blood glucose level may be within normal, but you never can tell.
Yeah, I'm drinking ~2L a day pretty consistently, spread over ~14 hr. Drinking 64oz in 3 hr? And she's not doing like, hard outdoor labor in a hellish heat wave? She should check in with her medical providers. Hydration is good, but this is, um... a bit excessive.
Load More Replies... Most people can manage three hours without going to the bathroom at all if they use it before the shift. Do you really need to be chugging down so much water, you're not on a hike in the sun. Generally I would say it's rude for the boss to be monitoring this, but the frequency of your trips is unusual. Honestly, I'd probably find a replacement for you.
Would agree with almost all you say - medically it is unusual for an adult with no medical issues to need more than one toilet break in a 3 hour shift. However, getting a replacement is not on my agenda - discussing what is reasonable with the emplyee would be. (Retired Occupational Health nurse here)
Load More Replies... This is illegal in civilized countries. It is a form of discrimination and also an invasion of privacy. However I find myself questioning what official breaks they are being given. In a 7.5 hour day, I would expect to get two 15 minute breaks and an hour for lunch, plus as many trips to the loo as is necessary. Loo breaks are difficult if you are on a production line or staffing a checkout, but they are oblidged to get someone to relieve you!
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