GAINERS WORKERS MUST PAY TO USE BATHROOM
EDMONTON -- Employees at Gainers Inc. are now
docked pay for every bathroom break visit made
outside of breaks and lunch hour under regulations
brought in last week by company owner Burns Meats
Ltd.
A notice posted in the meat-packing plant tells
employees that abusing washroom visits has lowered
productivity.
If employees need to use the washroom outside
of breaks, they must report to a supervisor, who
records the time of departure and return.
The time is tabulated at the end of the week
and pay cheques are deducted based on an
employee's hourly wage.
"How can they charge you for going to the
washroom?" asked one angry employee.
The man said one worker at the plant had a
kidney transplant and has to use the washroom
often.
"Because of this system, he had to hold it in
[between breaks] for a whole week. He went once
for three minutes and was charged 43 cents."
Dan McGee of the United Food and Commercial
Workers said "the union is deeply concerned about
this situation and we're having this situation
investigated."
Such washroom rules are rare but there is
nothing in the Alberta employment standards code
that requires a person to be paid when they don't
work, said Kathy Lazowski, a public affairs
officer with Alberta Labour.
Employees in the province are entitled to a
half-hour break after a straight shift of five or
six hours.
But Ms. Lazowski said a provincial employment
standards officers is looking into the dispute.
-- Canadian Press
Sid Shniad
