Get Back To Work, Potty Mouth!
I work at a small fast food restaurant. One of my coworkers is notorious for spending large amounts of time in the bathroom — I mean thirty to forty-five minutes, on the clock, in the bathroom. This happens several times in a five-hour shift and it leaves the rest of us struggling to cover her job and ours. I confirm with my boss that the worker has no medical issue that requires this, and my other female coworkers confirm that [Coworker #1] spends the time on her phone. After about three months of this happening…
Coworker #1: “I’m going to the bathroom.”
Me: “This is your second time, and you’ve only been here for like ninety minutes. [Manager] isn’t going to be okay with that.”
Coworker #1: “You know what? I need to s***, so I’m going to s***. It’s illegal to try to stop me.”
Coworker #2: “Actually, it’s illegal to do nothing at work when you’re being paid to do something. Making you do your job is far from illegal.”
Coworker #1: “Tell on me, then. I know the owner of [Fast Food Chain]. He’ll just fire you.”
Me: “You know what? The second you go into the bathroom, I will call [Manager] on her personal phone and tell her what you’re doing. This has gone on long enough. You’re being paid to work, not to play on your phone, so dang it, you are going to do your job. Get back to work, now.”
Coworker #1: “Fine, but I’m going to get you fired for this. I know the f****** owner of [Fast Food Chain].”
Coworker #2: “No, you don’t. He’s actually my uncle, and I would know if you knew him. I don’t like pulling the nepotism card, but my uncle can and will fire you for not working. Now do your job, and quit the freaking swearing; there are kids around.”
[Coworker #1] was fired about a week after.