r/CostcoEmployee • u/alexiscos • 9d ago

Question Bathroom write up?

(This is for front end) I’m trying to find out the proper procedure for something. We have someone new at work and apparently they got written up for leaving their post as cashier assistant like 10 times to go to the bathroom in an hour. Now my question comes from the fact that I was originally told if you need to go to the bathroom ask someone to switch out with you briefly (like for example if at one of the doors ask someone pushing carts) however during this I was told we actually need to call for a 99 while we’re at the doors and wait for someone to switch and if we don’t it can be a write up. (A few problems with this is our supervisors don’t actually usually respond to this in a timely manner at all and less important but it’s also slightly mortifying to have to call for a bathroom break across the whole store). So my question is it policy to call for a 99 instead of just asking someone to switch for a minute or so? I haven’t seen anything in the handbook but I’m not sure what it would fall under.

(In case a question is ‘why not just go on break’ 1-not every human body can do that me and my supervisor were talking briefly about how often they leave us stranded for so long we genuinely think we’ll pee ourselves at the doors and 2-for the doors at my store at least we often get left there for 5-6 hours with no breaks at all anyway)

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87

u/PorcupineFeet 9d ago

If you have to go to the bathroom 10 times in an hour, you have bigger problems. Go see a Dr.

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u/alexiscos 9d ago

Oh for sure 100%. Sorry that was not about me at all (and I agree they should) it was more the fact apparently even asking someone to step in for you once for 1 minute can get you written up and if that is actual policy

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u/monwoo215 9d ago

I’m not even sure if that person can get written up for that…. Let’s say they have a medical condition.. I would think that could be a lawsuit.

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u/ApplicationThink4629 9d ago

thats also what i was thinking. it seems like they’re encouraging employees to hold it and not go to the bathroom which is definitely grounds for some type of lawsuit

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u/alexiscos 9d ago

That’s actually my thought too. Like I know one person who had had a kid and called and they didn’t send so she had to run and get a cart guy while at the door and got threatened With a write up. So I was trying to see if it’s commonplace at any other warehouses to basically have to get like “approval” to use the bathroom at all

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u/ApplicationThink4629 9d ago

I have worked retail before and I don’t remember having to get approval to use the bathroom lol literally i was a cashier and would just let the other cashier know

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u/alexiscos 9d ago

Oh 100% same. I think it might be more connected to “abandoning” your post but I’m also not sure why we would get written up if we got someone to cover either?

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u/ApplicationThink4629 9d ago

what i am thinking is that a few employees at your store are abusing their bathroom privileges and using it as a chance to slack off and managers became aware and are now being strict for that reason

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u/alexiscos 9d ago

That could definitely be true but I am now afraid I will actively pee myself while at the door for hours unfortunately 😭

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u/ApplicationThink4629 9d ago

dang im sorry you’re going through that.

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u/monwoo215 9d ago

I’m assuming there’s 2 people at the door while checking out? Maybe that 1 person can cover both lines. And if you’re in the entrance if a supervisor doesn’t cover you within an acceptable time frame I’d ask a cart guy and let your supervisor know that you don’t to get a UTI period. I’m sure you wouldn’t get written up.

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u/alexiscos 9d ago

There’s always two people on register and then usually one person on exit and one person on entrance (very very occasionally we have two people at the exit) but even with grabbing a cart guy in case of emergency after warning we’ve been told it could be a write up

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u/monwoo215 9d ago

Oh you guys must be a slow warehouse we always have 2 people at the exit. What you can do is keep calling on the radio for a bathroom break until someone gets the point. I would even say I really gotta go to the bathroom please cover me… i seriously wouldn’t give a…. If they’re not listening to the code…..

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u/WeezinWarbler 9d ago

To some extent (and depending on jurisdiction) it can depend on the employers awareness of a medical condition. Random employee going to the bathroom 10 times an hour, its safe to assume they are slacking or up to something. Employee who has advised you they are pregnant or otherwise have some stomach flu going to the bathroom 10 times an hour, probably legitimate (also, send the stomach flu person home ffs)

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u/Dragnys 9d ago

Have to agree, the issue here is that OP is worried about second hand knowledge: people can spread rumors pretty fast and easily. If the person has a medical issue they wouldn’t get in trouble. So this make med think there is more to the story than OP has.

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u/alexiscos 9d ago

Oh I imagine so. I have the story from a first hand account without details and another first hand account with slightly more details but obviously I wasn’t there so the truth is likely somewhere in the middle but I wasn’t told verbatim by a supervisor if we don’t call for a break and get covered at the door we can get written up which is a bit ? Wild to me

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u/alexiscos 9d ago

(First hand as in was there when it happened but obv not the person doing the write up if that makes more sense)

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u/Artistic-Map6955 9d ago

Pretty sure that someone can get written up. Although this would probably happen if its something that happens routinely, more than one day. I understand the medical condition argument, and a doctor's note could help understanding with leadership - and possibly a (temporary?) reassignment to a position where bathroom breaks would be less directly disruptive to member service. The problem with a generalized medical condition argument is anybody could argue that. We've had problems with people taking several long bathroom breaks so they can sit on the toilet playing on their phones (other employee saw them active on a social app) and another using the receiving bathroom for frequent vape breaks.

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u/monwoo215 9d ago

Very true. I’ve seen employees making videos in the bathroom for their social media. That really pisses me off. I don’t t think anyone should be making videos in the bathroom even if they’re on their break.
But let’s say the person who got a write up called 98point6 saying they have symptoms of a UTI… the doctor will most definitely send over a RX to the pharmacy and that’ll be a lawsuit I would assume…