TAIPEI—In order to make work more efficient, one textile and garment factory in Daojiao town, Dongguan City in Guangdong Province, imposed a restriction on employees’ bathroom usage. A worker has to punch out on a time card when he goes to the restroom. A fine will be charged for more usages than twice a day. Even pregnant women cannot be waived from this regulation.
According to Hong Kong Business Newspaper , the factory has the rule that employees cannot go to the bathroom more than twice a day during work. Every time the employee goes to the bathroom, he or she needs to punch out on a time card. Two yuan (US $0.25) will be charged as a fine for each additional time the employee goes to the bathroom. The employee has no choice but to drink less water and eat food without much water.
A worker said,“For us young people, we can deal with this ridiculous rule. However, those pregnant women really can’t stand this. They quit the job one after another. This regulation is really out of control.”
The administration department’s head states, going to the bathroom frequently during work will influence the work efficiency especially when some of the male employee take the advantage of it and hide in the bathroom smoking.
The personnel in the Department of Labor in DongGuan City said that the factory’s restrictions are inappropriate. To enhance the internal management of an enterprise, the regulations should be practical, reasonable, flexible and operational. The rule made by this factory lacks rationality and flexibility. It is against a basic human need, and therefore should be cancelled right away.
Law professionals say that the factory did lack legal support. Going to the bathroom is a human physiological requirement. No one should impose a time restriction on it. This rule cannot hold its ground legally and morally.
