Bathroom Breaks for Call Center Workers? Not at Some U.K. Firms

A recent survey conducted by Unison (News - Alert), Europe's biggest public sector union, revealed a somewhat disturbing fact about some call centers in the U.K. – they don't accommodate for employees to take a brief break throughout the day to use the restroom.

Those call centers aren't looking too good on other health fronts either.

Unison's study covered 800 workers, one in four of which had had access to a bathroom break restricted. Seven out of 10 suffered some degree of eye strain, and better than half had reported issues with hearing and voices.

Nearly all of the 800 surveyed – 80 percent – said their work had caused them to feel stressed to the point that it affected their personal lives.

Unison's general secretary, Dave Prentis, responded to the survey, saying "workers rightly expect their employers to have a duty of care not only to their physical health, but also to their mental wellbeing, and this must be addressed urgently."

While it's easy to wonder if employees at U.K. call centers are abusing the privilege of restroom visits to get out of doing work, it's difficult to imagine that large numbers of U.K. call center employees spend large amounts of their shifts hiding from work in the restroom, necessitating the use of limits on their visits.

But a recent report of a Norwegian insurance company reports it installing a high-tech surveillance system to monitor employees' restroom usage and ensure that too much time wasn't spent there, including activating alarms if any employee is inside the restroom for over eight minutes. The problem may therefore not be limited to U.K. call centers.

Companies need to keep their employees working for the full time they're hired to work. That's simply a given. But at the same time, certain things are matters of biological imperative, and must be addressed in order for the employee in question to work to their full potential.

Call centers need their employees at their desks, sharp, wide-eyed and focused on the task at hand, that of getting information rapidly and clearly to customers who need it. But how sharp and focused can employees be when they're frantically trying to think about anything but relieving themselves?

Worse, how sharp and focused can they be while also being dehydrated in a bid to avoid that which would trigger these necessary biological processes?

There's a reason the restroom used to be called the "necessary house," and smart call centers will find a way to balance the needs of the organization with the clear needs of their employees. If nothing else, not restricting access to restroom breaks will keep businesses out of controversial press.

Showing concern for employees' wellbeing earns subtle rewards, and keeps the company image positive in the eyes of current and potential customers.