Ford To Monitor, Time Employees' Potty Breaks

[savafan]

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/auto...13/detail.html

DETROIT -- Ford has a better idea: shorter bathroom breaks.

Managers of the motor company's truck plant in Wayne, Mich., said excessive breaks are slowing down production of SUVs. Ford said its contract with the United Autoworkers union allows 48 minutes of bathroom breaks per shift.

A memo this week warned workers are spending too much time in the restroom and said supervisors are going to be keeping close tabs on break time. The memo cites what it said are "risks associated with safety, quality, delivery, cost and morale."

A union spokesman said managers are being petty.

[GAC]

48 minutes per shift, just for bathroom breaks?????

This is actually stipulated in a contract?



Man I love unions!

We just had our bi-annual plantwide/company meeting this morning at Honda. They go over various items over the last 6 months, such as profits, sales, safety, inprovements, inventory, and future projections.

They also do comparisons with our competition. The Japanese companies are kicking the crap out of the Big 3 (and IMO, it's their own fault). Honda, Toyoate, and Nissan are all having record sales.

We have been working overtime to get our new models on line and to met current customer demands. Our SUV and the new truck (Ridgeline) are kinda flat (thatnks to gas prices); but the Accord and Civic is going through the roof. We can't make them fast enough, or even get our inventories up to meet American Honda's demand.

And the new Civic with the 2.3 turbo charged engine is gonna be a hot seller for us.

[smith288]

48 min potty breaks? Good Lord the Unions will end us all in terms of the international market...

[westofyou]

That's 6 minutes every hour to leave the line and do your business.

How many minutes to the can?

What equipment needs to be removed?

[pedro]

I have a friend who used to go into the bathroom and take mini naps on the stall. He sold insurance.

[919191]

I think that is pretty unusual to have in a labor contract. Probably there is a reason- a big deal beginning with someone sleeeping on company time, or a supervisor not wanting workers to go to the potty to keep up production. Could be because of actions coming from either side.

GAC, it is great you have a good job with a good company where organized labor is neither needed or wanted. There are companies out there, however, that will exploit people and unions help stop that. They are needed in some places.

[GAC]

Originally Posted by 919191

I think that is pretty unusual to have in a labor contract. Probably there is a reason- a big deal beginning with someone sleeeping on company time, or a supervisor not wanting workers to go to the potty to keep up production. Could be because of actions coming from either side.

GAC, it is great you have a good job with a good company where organized labor is neither needed or wanted. There are companies out there, however, that will exploit people and unions help stop that. They are needed in some places.

I agree, and understand that. But the pendulum has seemed to have swayed the other way just a little too much in various instances. And especially in the automotive and truck building industries. It is hurting their competiveness. Is it all the union's fault? No. But they do contribute to it.

It seems every little stipulation has to be written down on paper (in a contract). And some of it is simply absurb and lacks common sense. Do they have one that tells them when to wipe?

I fully understand and acknowledge the great gains and initiatives that unions have made to help the American worker since the turn of the century. My Dad was president of the local AFL-CIO for years while we were growing up. But even after he retired he felt disenchanted with unions.

Here in central Ohio I have watched what the UAW has done to one of the leaders in the trucking industry over the last few decades (International/Navistar). They have almost brought them to their knees numerous times.

I'm looking at what is happening with Delphi/GM in and around Dayton, where I have numerous relations that have worked there for many years. They can't stand neither management, nor the union.

I'm not anti-union - I just feel they are no longer doing what is best for their workers anymore in alot of instances. There is a sound reason as to why UAW membership has dropped like a rock over the years.

As far as bathroom breaks - we have floaters on each shift who have various job responsibilities. One of the minute ones is if someone calls and says they need to go to the bathroom. We don't put a stop watch on the individual though. But if they see a particular individual "abusing" the situation (and we do have a couple in our department) - they are talked to and warned.

But it's not a big problem.

[Unassisted]

Originally Posted by 919191

I think that is pretty unusual to have in a labor contract. Probably there is a reason- a big deal beginning with someone sleeeping on company time, or a supervisor not wanting workers to go to the potty to keep up production. Could be because of actions coming from either side.

I think it's more about leverage. As in "If I don't like the treatment/assignment I get from my supervisor, I can always exact revenge by taking the full 48 minutes for my bathroom break."

It might also be a vestige of the age of smoke breaks. That sounds like the amount of time that a worker might have used for smoke breaks back in the pre-smokefree workplace days.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by westofyou

That's 6 minutes every hour to leave the line and do your business.

How many minutes to the can?

What equipment needs to be removed?

Yeah but who has to go every hour? I'm thinking if you have to take breaks every hour to go to the bathroom and you can't complete that task in 6 minutes, you probably better stay home close to the bathroom.

[westofyou]

Yeah but who has to go every hour?

Someone bored from working on a assembly line?

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by GAC

As far as bathroom breaks - we have floaters

Flushing might help that out.

[Michael Allred]

Originally Posted by Chip R

Yeah but who has to go every hour? I'm thinking if you have to take breaks every hour to go to the bathroom and you can't complete that task in 6 minutes, you probably better stay home close to the bathroom.

Well SOME people can't hold on forever like you I guess. Some folks, for whatever reason, have the urge to use the bathroom more frequently than others, such as myself but according to you we should just stay home?

When I was younger and worked at a warehouse, you were supposed to ASK for permission to use the bathroom. That doesn't work for me at all. I'm an adult and I'm absolutely not going to ask to use the restroom. That's insulting. Now I don't spend 20 minutes doing my business, it takes me a couple of minutes and I'm back. I don't see that as a major problem for any employer.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by Michael Allred

Well SOME people can't hold on forever like you I guess. Some folks, for whatever reason, have the urge to use the bathroom more frequently than others, such as myself but according to you we should just stay home?

When I was younger and worked at a warehouse, you were supposed to ASK for permission to use the bathroom. That doesn't work for me at all. I'm an adult and I'm absolutely not going to ask to use the restroom. That's insulting. Now I don't spend 20 minutes doing my business, it takes me a couple of minutes and I'm back. I don't see that as a major problem for any employer.

SOME people don't have to go to the bathroom every hour. In fact I'd say MOST people don't. If you do then either you are sick or drinking too much beer or too much coffee or you're pregnant - things you aren't probably doing while working on an assembly line. It's not even a question of holding it forever. You are supposed to be working not peeing.

[Michael Allred]

Originally Posted by Chip R

SOME people don't have to go to the bathroom every hour. In fact I'd say MOST people don't. If you do then either you are sick or drinking too much beer or too much coffee or you're pregnant - things you aren't probably doing while working on an assembly line. It's not even a question of holding it forever. You are supposed to be working not peeing.

Ok Iron Bladder. Is your sidekick Super Kidney around?

You clearly don't know much about this....you don't have to be sick or drink too much of anything. Some people have weak bladders. Plain and simple.

[GAC]

It depends on when my Metamucil kicks in.