Nothing can make or break your place of work more than one’s boss.
A great boss can make even the worst jobs bearable, and might even get you excited to show up for work.
While a bad boss can ruin a dream job you’ve been waiting your whole life for.
While Redditor FantasticBarracuda61 lucked out with her boss at a job she took to help her pay for university, a new manager drastically changed the work environment for the worse.
And when this new manager tried to enforce rules which she found beyond the pail, the original poster (OP), felt she had no choice but to stand up to her.
Concerned she may have stepped out of bounds, the OP took to the subReddit “Am I The A**hole” (AITA), where she asked fellow Redditors:
“AITA for telling my manager she’s delusional if she thinks I’m going to hold my pee.”
The OP explained how her new manager posed many problems which she had not experienced in her two years at her place of work.
“I (23 f[emale]) am in the UK.”
“I just finished my last year of uni and I’m starting my masters after summer.”
“Since first year, I’ve been working in a fast food place that mostly hires students.”
“Because of working there’s for over 2 years, I cannot be fired without a good reason.”
“Lately, our old manager quit and new one started and she’s been problematic ever since.”
“The owner of the place is a single mom in her 40s and she’s been wonderful.”
“She knows she hires mostly students thus our exam dates or graduation dates are always booked off and are untouchable.”
“Well, the new manager tried to make me to come into work on the day of my graduation.”
“She was surprised when she got a firm no.”
However, it was another rule implemented by her manager which the OP found to simply be the last straw.
“I am someone with a small bladder and I go to pee quite often.”
“It’s not a problem though as I never leave when it’s busy or we have customers waiting.”
“I always wait when we have a second to spare.”
“Just the other day, our manager got supper pissy with me and my toilet going.”
“We’re talking 2-3 times a during 8 hour shift for literally 1 minute pee and washing my hands.”
“She suggested I should hold it and not drink water to stop going to toilet.”
“I told her she’s delusional if she thinks I’m going to hold my pee for 8 hours.”
“I now feel kind of bad for telling her she was delusional but I’ve just about had it with her and I’m going to complain to the owner.”
“AITA for calling her delusional?”
Fellow Redditors weighed in on where they believed the OP fell in this particular situation by declaring:
- NTA – Not the A**hole
- YTA – You’re the A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everybody Sucks Here
The Reddit community agreed that the OP was in no way the a**hole for calling out her boss.
Everyone agreed telling the OP, or anyone, when they can and cannot use the bathroom was abusive behavior, with many thinking she deserved to be fired.
“NTA report this to the owner.”
“If the situation doesn’t change, then quit.”
“I don’t know what the laws are in the UK, but if the owner does not intervene to protect you, then I’d report the manager to the government office that protects employee rights.”- kn0tkn0wn
“2-3 times in an 8 hour shift?”
“That’s it? I swear I pee every 90 minutes.”
“LOL And NTA.”- SimplySam4210
“NTA.”
“Also she’s not delusional she knows exactly what she’s doing.”
:A bully who tries to pick on university educated bright young things?”
“She’s jealous of you.”
“Remember anything she says to you is her word against yours, try to ensure you have witnesses.”
“If she does it again, tell her to formally warn you and copy in the owner and you will make representations to them both about it.”
“I think you did fantastic.”- LouieAvalonMac
“Pretty sure that’s illegal.”
“NTA.”- sparksfly5891.
“NTA, but instead of calling her delusional, it would be better to look up the employment laws for your location, which surely require some minimum of bathroom breaks.”- dreamingpotatoes
“NTA.”
“Dehyrdrate yourself in an already hot environment and then not use the bathroom?”
“She IS delusional if she thinks that’s any kind of okay to ask of.”
“Literally dangerous to your health.”
“TBH I’d tell the owner about it she’s out of line there.”- Dtour5150
“NTA.”
“You cannot hold pee like that especially if you are female.”
“You can get a UTI or kidney infection.”
“Your boss is delusional.”- Key_Transition_6036
“NTA.”
“Give her a warning first though, and make it clear that it’s the only warning she’ll get.”-lesbian_goose
“NTA, she told you not to hydrate?”
“Wtf.”-Bigdaddylovesfatties
“NTA.”
“First she tries to schedule you on your graduation day.”
“Then she harasses you about using the toilet.”
“She is attempting to exert control that isn’t hers to take.”
“Talk to the owner.”
“She hired a bad manager.”-tatersprout
“NTA.”
“Sometimes you have to assert your rights.”
“The job isn’t worth a urinary tract infection or kidney stones and your manager isn’t meant to be managing your pee.”-RebelWithoutASauce
“NTA.”
“Managers don’t get to regulate or control the employees’ bodily functions.”- InternationalKick126
“The accusation is harsh, but given that holding back for too long can be pretty unhealthy, I’m not going to call you an a**hole for it.”
“You manager is an asshole for sure.”
“NTA.”- Kris_Third_Account
“NTA.”
“Water is essential for life.”- Intelligent_Stop5564
“NTA and warn the owner, this manager sounds like the type to ban water bottles, even when it reaches 100% farenheit weather and the AC is busted.”
“The manager sounds like a legal liability lawsuit waiting to happen.”- Educational_Cup9850
“NTA my teachers n bosses make me held it until they caused me irreversible kidney disease.”
“Please don’t let this happen to you.”
“Your manager is def delusional for thinking that even regular bladder ppl can’t hold that long.”-Auberjonois
“NTA.”
“Point out to your manager that people have for real died from holding it in too long.”
“Ask how the owner would feel about a wrongful death suit from your family should that happen.”
“Be sure to do your research, there are documented cases, and have it in hand when you tell her that.”- BunnySlayer64
“100% NTA.”
“There’s may not be an actual bathroom law or whatever but it would come under health and safety.”
“What does she want you to do per on the floor?”
“Also, I have never known any employer stopping people from going to the toilet.”
“Also that sounds like a normal bladder to me. 2-3 times during an 8 hour period is pretty normal.”
“It’s not like you’re going 20 times a shift, only a normal amount of times.”
“Would she expect some one who had given birth to hold it almost the entire shift.”
“Since I had my child, depending on how much I drink, I sometimes go to toilet every 1hr 30/2hrs.”
“I think not.”- RavenStar1995
“Who in their right mind believes they are so entitled they can dictate someone’s bodily functions?”
“Answer: someone who has a grandiose sense of entitlement.”
“NTA.”- turd_ferguson083
“Next time pee on her to establish dominance.”- Derrymaine148
“NTA.”
“Expecting 0 bathroom breaks in 8 hours is, in fact, delusional.”- MargotLannington
“Manager here.”
“She’s delusional.”
“NTA.”- Dangerous-Project672
“NTA.”
“Holding it can increase your risk of UTI’s.”
“Also your boss is a butt.”- xwhereismycoffee
“NTA but your manager certainly is.”
“I work in a cafe in the UK and nobody bats an eye when someone goes to the toilet, and the mangers actively encourage everyone to drink a lot of water.”- thatstoomuchsauce
“NTA.”
“You definitely need to let the owner know what is going on.”
“It sounds like your owner is a good employer and the new manager is an AH who let power to go to her head.”-Algebralovr
“So here in the US, this would be highly illegal.”
“Telling someone to not drink water and or not use the bathroom?”
“Speak to the owner, and explain that you’re not willing to risk your health by withholding pee, or foregoing water to avoid the restroom.”- Landfill-KU
“NTA.”
“I mean, yeah, it was wrong to call her delusional.”
“But her request was way off base and, probably illegal.”
“At absolute minimum you get one 20-minute break if you work 6 hours in the UK.”
“It’s a typical new-manager mistake to try to enforce rules instead of encouraging teamwork and productivity.”- 1962Michael
“NTA, I would complain to the owner.”
“It isn’t healthy holding your pee in.”-Kirin2013
“NTA.”
“Make sure you let the owner and HR know what the manager is doing.”- QueenStarrdust
It’s one thing for a boss to scold an employee for neglecting their work while playign on their phones or taking a smoking break.
But telling your employees when they can and can’t use the restroom borders on abuse.
One imagines the owner will not be pleased to learn this is happening.