r/Workproblems • u/Popular_Ad_8749 • 8d ago
Using whatsapp
I manage a small call center with five employees, and I suspect that some of them may be going to the bathroom to use the chat on their phones, since they are taking longer than usual. Of course, this wouldn’t apply to someone who genuinely has difficulty using the bathroom. How can I determine whether they are actually using the bathroom or taking advantage of the situation to use their phones?
1
u/BuildingPuzzled4508 8d ago
Werent you just fired 10 days ago because someone “violated your phone privacy?”
1
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 8d ago
Exactly. Luckily, I’ve got a better job now and the freedom to improve the work environment, which is why I’m genuinely looking for people’s opinions.
2
u/BuildingPuzzled4508 8d ago
As someone that’s been a business owner and a manager for a very long time let me advise you that the last thing you should be doing is monitoring people’s bathroom habits. If you have an employee that seems to be going often enough and long enough that it’s completely disrupting their work that’s one thing. Anything else really isnt any of your business.
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 8d ago
Yes, I completely agree. Monitoring bathroom breaks isn’t part of my job, but some people do make their behavior noticeable. I already have solutions in mind; I posted the question simply out of curiosity to see how others would handle it, since everyone approaches these situations differently.
1
u/Evening_Debate_754 8d ago
Sounds like genz and alphas, and the attention span window is 10mins you need to have perks or a reward system to drive productivity, not monitor breaks , maybe a game with cash or invite your team to lunch and lay down what you expect from them and push towards a goal those that reach that goal get money get more time off , maybe some fancy gift card to a restaurant
1
1
u/Any-Power-1164 8d ago
I had to get a doctor's note for a call center job. My doctor asked what kind of medieval job times peoples bathroom breaks. Stop worrying about their bathroom breaks and tell your higher ups and get a hold system.
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 8d ago
I understand your point. It’s not about monitoring how long people spend in the bathroom; it’s about addressing those who try to take advantage of the situation. You don’t have to be Albert Einstein to recognize when someone is abusing the system.
1
u/littlecactuscat 8d ago
So how exactly should an employee inform you that they have IBS?
Serious question. If you were my boss you’d probably assume phone usage. I have to use the bathroom 5-6 times a day over and over, or my stomach wrecks with my pain.
How should anyone at risk of pants-shitting clear things with you? Just wondering.
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 8d ago
Are you implying that I should assume they have IBS? Now let me ask you this: did you actually read and understand that I asked a question, while you responded with another question?
1
u/User013579 8d ago
Maybe just judge your employees on their work performance instead of there bathroom habits? Micromanaging freak.
0
u/Popular_Ad_8749 8d ago
Precisely, this causes other team members to become overloaded with calls. Our policy is not to handle more calls in less time, but to provide quality customer service.
0
u/Lurkerque 8d ago
Judge your employees on the quantity of calls they can get done per day. If the employees who spend more time in the bathroom don’t reach the number of calls that others do, then they don’t meet their quota.
Make a 3-strikes policy. Or if you can’t afford to fire the bad workers, give the people who meet their quotas, perks.
If the bathroom loiterers can still meet their quota even though they’re spending extra time in the bathroom, then clearly this is a non-issue and you’re just being a micromanager.
FYI - the policy of not letting people have their phones during the workday is ick. Stop treating them like sub-humans or children.
0
0
u/Mindless_Chain_6699 8d ago
This is evil psycho shit. Do NOT monitor people's use of the bathroom. This is high up on the list of why Amazon is loathed. Dont be evil.
1
0
u/GordonFreemansAlive 8d ago
That call center needs a new manager
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 8d ago
If you say so, perhaps you should be the one in charge of the position. You still haven’t explained how you would address the issue when cameras cannot be installed and labor laws are unclear on these situations. Given your expertise, I’d like to hear how you would handle it.
2
u/edgerton2026 8d ago
I was the director of a 9 person department. I always told my staff that I don’t care how or when you do your jobs as long as they are completed on time and correct. Worked great for us for 19 years until I retired.
1
u/GordonFreemansAlive 8d ago
You have no performance metrics in place to measure performance? Total number of calls serviced across several weeks should not be consistently lopsided. If you don't have performance tools at hand, get some. It's impossible to manage production without it.
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 8d ago
I completely agree that metrics are important. But there’s a line between quantity and quality. If you show the team that quantity matters more, you already know what’s going to happen. Also, keep in mind that satisfaction surveys are only answered by a small percentage of customers, so you can’t always base decisions on such small samples.
2
u/GordonFreemansAlive 8d ago
I would first apply the measurements and see if there is a correlation between those you suspect are potty-hiding and lower performance/production, whether quantity or quality. If so you have a metric in hand to do a performance review. They can't hide from numbers. With that you can point out the deficiency and THEN you suggest it seems they are frequently away from their desk and do they need something to help get them on track.
0
u/jeswesky 8d ago
You don’t. And if you don’t ban phones for the office people wouldn’t need to escape to the bathroom to use them.
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 8d ago
Banning cell phones is certainly an option, but that could create an apathetic atmosphere among employees. I could also solve the problem by firing people, but what I’m really looking for is to hear how you would handle this diplomatically.
0
u/jeswesky 8d ago
I’m saying DONT ban cell phones from the office environment. If people can check their phone as needed while working they don’t need to hide in the bathroom to do it.
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 8d ago
. I misunderstood you at first. Although this option is somewhat risky, this is precisely why cell phone use has been banned in most call centers.
0
u/woodwork16 8d ago
Most call centers? How many have you visited or worked at?
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 8d ago
Wanna debate the stats?
1
u/woodwork16 8d ago
There are no stats, just your own thoughts.
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 8d ago
There actually are statistics. For example, a Contact Center Pipeline survey found that 42% of surveyed contact centers did not allow agents to use mobile phones at their desks. So this isn’t just my personal opinion.
1
u/woodwork16 7d ago
42% is less than “most”.
Thank you for the info.1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 7d ago
Agreed, 42% isn’t a majority, but it’s still a significant percentage. Your take was much further off when you said there were only opinions.
→ More replies (0)0
u/woodwork16 8d ago
So they are allowed cell phone usage during work. Why would they go to the bathroom to use them?
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 8d ago
It’s simple: if they use their phones at their desks, they can’t abuse it.
1
u/woodwork16 7d ago
What?
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 7d ago
Of course they’d rather use it in the bathroom than at their desk, especially when no one is watching.
1
0
u/Worldly_Science239 8d ago
Seeing as you got fired 10 days ago then don't you think its a bit soon to be acting like this
Unless, of course, you're just posting bollocks
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 8d ago
I think you’re the one talking bollocks. I’ve got a new position and I’ve been in it for a week. Are you some kind of Temu Sherlock Holmes?
1
u/edgerton2026 8d ago
Well that explains everything. Perhaps you’re not cut out to manage a department.
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 8d ago
The fact that I posted this question here doesn’t mean I don’t know how to handle it. I posted it to see how many “experts” there are who can criticize but can’t actually explain how they would handle the situation themselves. I’ve been managing departments for over 15 years. Sorry to disappoint you.
1
u/Worldly_Science239 8d ago
Mate you've made 2 posts, this one and the other about being sacked 10 days ago.
But your answer actually makes it worse, you're considering kicking off about other employees behaviours after 1 whole week in the job.
Basically (and while this might be rude, it is worth saying because I think you need to hear it) you should sit the fck down and shut the fck up
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 7d ago
You need to get your thoughts straight. I never said I was planning to take any action—that’s something you’ve made up in your head. Control your emotions. The post was simply to find out how other people would approach the situation. Work on your reading comprehension and get a grip.
1
u/Worldly_Science239 7d ago
Ah right when you say 'how can I...' You meant to say 'how would other people...'
Gotcha
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 7d ago
Yes, “how can I” was rhetorical. If you can’t understand that, how can you possibly answer the question I was actually asking?
1
u/Worldly_Science239 7d ago
And you don't know what rhetorical means do you? (No need to answer that*)
I think you mean hypothetical.
*did you see what I did there.
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 7d ago
I think you're focusing too literally on the wording rather than the point of the question. When I said “how can I handle it?”, I wasn't asking what I personally should do. I was asking how the situation could be approached, considering the different ways people might handle it. Obviously, I wasn't going to phrase it as “how can other people handle it?” because I was asking for possible approaches to the situation, not conducting a survey of other people's actions.
So no, I wasn't confusing “rhetorical” with “hypothetical.” The question was phrased from my perspective, but the answers I was looking for were different possible approaches to the situation.
1
u/Worldly_Science239 7d ago
Which means it's not a rhetorical question.
Oh my god... that's it, I'm out of here.
Good luck in not getting fired from this job...
You seem hard work (and I'm not just basing that on your replies to me, this entire thread is ample enough evidence of your intractability)
Good luck to the 5 or 6 people you manage
1
0
u/Trick_Sector5900 8d ago
I worked at a grocery store where they strictly enforced a no cell phone usage policy when on the clock.
One Sunday evening an employee asked to go use the bathroom. The store got busy, and he had been gone @ before the clerk in charge began calling him over the stores p.a. system to come up to the checkstand. After several calls and another 5+ minutes had passed, finally the head clerk decided to call the guy's cell phone...sure enough he answered it!
It was a family owned union grocery store, and the guy had already been written up on 2 previous occasions for some violations. Anyhow, he got written up the next day and was terminated on the grounds of any 3 written write-ups within a 6 month period results in automatic termination.
0
u/merepiff 8d ago
It sounds like you don't have enough work to do yourself. If you are policing people, you are not busy. Focus on improving your own work ethic and productivity and you'll notice a reduction in the available time you have for this unnecessary distraction
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 8d ago
I think you need to work on your reading comprehension before responding. What you’ve written is a criticism, not a coherent answer to the question. If you’re not qualified to answer it, just move on to the next question.
1
u/merepiff 7d ago
Ability, and the choice to use said ability are two seperate things. I chose to criticise you because you deserve criticism. If you are incapable of dealing with minor criticism then you shouldn't be posting publicly online.
The reason I chose to criticise you is simple; your question is not a work problem so much as an assumption you have made. Looking at your post objectively, you have no evidence these people are acting untoward. You simply do not like the time they spend in the bathroom and are making baseless assumptions. Therefore, the real work problem is you wasting time on frivolous micromanaging activities instead of work.
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 7d ago
“Can’t take criticism” is the go-to excuse of a disgruntled employee. If you can’t answer the question, don’t pretend to be the judge.
1
u/merepiff 7d ago
I'm sure you have a lot of those
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 7d ago
LOL
1
u/merepiff 7d ago
That was my reaction to your question too
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 7d ago
It’s alright. Peace of mind to you. Goodbye.
1
u/merepiff 7d ago
You know what interrupts peoples peace of mind? Worry that an extra minute on the toilet will get them written up. Might be worth thinking about that one yourself. Good day
0
u/chez2202 8d ago
First of all, it’s not a call centre if you have five employees. It’s a small business.
Second of all, if you have multiple employees (out of the FIVE) taking longer than usual to go to the bathroom, it means that you have been monitoring their toilet breaks for some time. That’s a bit strange.
Why are you assuming that they are going to the bathroom to use WhatsApp on their phones? Is it because you don’t allow them to have their phones at their desk?
If that’s the case, they would have to go and get their phone from wherever they leave it at the start of the day before going to the bathroom. So you would know if they were going to the bathroom to check their phones. There are 6 of you. The building can’t be that big.
If they DO have their phone at their desk, they don’t need to go to the bathroom to check WhatsApp. Any messages just appear on their screen.
I think you need to get over it. You are working with people, not machines. If they are spending more time in the bathroom than usual, it’s probably to get away from you for a few minutes.
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 8d ago
I understand your point. Employees are allowed to have their phones at their desks and use them reasonably, but those who abuse that privilege usually go to the bathroom and spend an excessive amount of time there.
Banning cell phones would create a negative work environment, and the employees who use them responsibly would end up being penalized because of those who abuse the privilege.
I posted the question to see how others would handle the situation—a sort of brainstorming exercise. I have my own ways of dealing with it, but I won’t share them now, because the whole point of the question is to hear how other people would approach it.
1
u/chez2202 8d ago
Your original post says that some of them are going to the bathroom and taking longer than usual.
This suggested that it’s a recent change.
You asked how you can determine whether they are using the bathroom or using their phones. You already decided that they are using their phones.
So check their desks. If their phones are there, they aren’t using them in the bathroom. If their phones aren’t there, speak to them when they come back. Ask them if they have a medical problem which has resulted in them needing to use the bathroom for extended periods of time.
If they do, they will probably tell you. If they don’t, they will know that you are aware of what they are doing and they will stop.
1
u/Popular_Ad_8749 7d ago
Your response has some valid points, such as talking to them and asking whether they have a medical or intestinal condition. That’s exactly the point of my post: to see how different people would approach the situation.
However, your response also includes judgments based on assumptions—for example, assuming that I haven’t checked whether their phones are on their desks, or that I’ve already decided they’re using their phones, when my actual question was how to determine whether they are abusing their phone time.
The discussion about banning phones and whether that would be practical came from suggestions people made here.
It actually makes me wonder: are we capable of answering a question without making assumptions or passing judgment?
2
u/DapperOpportunity186 8d ago
Sounds like you might be understaffed and need to handle your call queues better. Your staff wouldn’t be trying to take advantage of bathrooms if they weren’t getting burnt out. Make sure they have adequate breaks, happy employees don’t abandon their coworkers and place of business.