Ask most business owners and they will say they never dreamed their duties would involve questioning employee bathroom breaks. But as it turns out, frequent and/or long bathroom breaks happen more than one may have thought. In this Ask the HR Expert, Jeanette Coleman, Director of Human Resources at Axcet HR Solutions, provides expert advice on this popular topic.
I have an employee who is taking unusually long bathroom breaks. The frequent restroom use is disrupting work. What should I do to prevent long bathroom breaks?
If you believe that an employee’s bathroom breaks are longer than average, consider that there may be other issues, such as a medical condition, causing the behavior. As a best practice, have a Human Resources representative or a manager talk to the employee privately to determine if there is a reason for the lengthy breaks.
If a health condition exists and reasonable accommodations are necessary, ask the employee to provide medical certification from their healthcare provider and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) paperwork, if applicable, to ensure the additional time is protected.
If it turns out the employee has an issue unrelated to their health, then you should involve Human Resources for a resolution. When moving forward in this direction, it is important to consider how the frequent trips to the bathroom are impacting the employees' ability to complete high-quality work in a timely manner.
If the bathroom breaks have negatively impacted their work, address the poor performance, not the number of bathroom breaks. However, if performance has not been affected, you may consider letting the bathroom breaks go for now.
Consider these tips to proactively manage break periods:
As a business owner, HR questions come at you daily—each requiring a thoughtful, compliant response. Do you have the right answers? Axcet HR Solutions does. As a certified professional employer organization, our experienced HR consultants provide trusted guidance that protects your business and supports your employees. Whether you're navigating tough employee conversations, updating policies, or resolving conflicts, we're here to help.
Explore Axcet’s Employee Relations Consulting Services and simplify your HR challenges with expert support.
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