'Take it up with HR': Employee confronts coworker after she monitors their bathroom breaks and claims they are taking too long

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
May 4, 2024 12:00 PM EDT

Anyone who ever took a class in Communication that talked about the concept of reality TV shows knows how much the need to know what is going on in other people's lives is set in human nature. In social studies, they call it 'Peep Culture', and the name is pretty self-explanatory. 

But even after sitting through those classes, the amount of energy and time people waste in being unnecessarily invested in other people's businesses can still boggle my mind, and even more so when they feel the need to get involved.

This is exactly what the woman in this Reddit story has been doing to her coworker. OP (original poster), told Reddit about how her coworker keeps timing her bathroom breaks and complaining when they are "taking too long". The entitled coworker also keeps gossiping about OP in meetings and calling her different names. OP is lost about what to do with her, so she turns to Reddit for advice.

Scroll down to read the full story. After that, click here for a story of a university employee who printed free textbooks for students.

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  • 01
    "Take it up with HR"
    via Canva
  • 02
    Coworker monitors my bathroom "breaks" and even complained about it in a meeting. She also seems to dislike me a lot for no apparent reason!
    via u/Sulp_da00
  • 03
    Can't believe i'm typing this but i literally got scolded by a coworker for frequently using the bathroom (4-5 times in 8,5hours).
    via u/Sulp_da00
  • 04
    She literally yelled at me "what were you doing??? You were missing for 7 minutes! Do you know that?" My response was why you care?? I'm not taking permission from you to por p! Mind your own business!”
    via u/Sulp_da00
  • 05
    And also found out that in a meeting i was not involved in, she even complained about it and called me names, when she is in fact taking breaks every hour or so for more than 10 mins to smoke and often leaves
    via u/Sulp_da00
  • 06
    the desk to go and gossip with others. It's astonishing to me that she even monitors my bathroom "breaks”. ( no supervisor has said anything to me tho)
    via u/Sulp_da00
  • 07
    Mind you, let me mark that the bathroom isn't even on the same floor so OBVIOUSLY it takes time to go back and forth from the bathroom that is located TWO FLOORS DOWN KAREN..
    via u/Sulp_da00
  • 08
    I've done NOTHING to get on her "bad" side. We barely work together on the same shift. As she is on the morning shift and im on the evening one. I guess, She must even hate her own guts.
    via u/Sulp_da00
  • 09
    Regardless i quit soon, the toxicity in there is too much to handle. Just wanted to talk it out.
    via u/Sulp_da00
  • 10
    Aggravating-Pea193 · 20 hr. ago Tell her you have a medical condition and she can take it up with your attorney or better yet, you'll have your attorney take it up with HER if she continues to harass you.
    via u/Aggravating-Pea193
  • 11
    Laxit00 20 hr. ago Who is she to determine how many times it's acceptable to use the bathroom per shift and it's on a different floor. Tell her you have medical condition like mentioned and she can take it up with MGT of she has further issues. If MGT says something say you have always taken bathroom breaks this often and nothing has ever been said bf
    via u/Laxit00
  • 12
    I have a co worker who watches everything I do at work. I drop my phone off at 1045 go to washroom and sit in admin and wait til 11 to leave with my coworker. I'm not leaving the building at 1050 and this co worker leaves because they say I'm leaving and they have informed my supervisor. I have a GPS for insurance discount that tracks when I leave no earlier than 1058, cameras and my co
    via u/Laxit00
  • 13
    worker I sit with. I know it sounds silly having to document things you do but some ppl have nothing better to do and some need to retire. I make sure my is always covers by writing notes in my phone. I had a hr interview about one co worker and write down when she calls in sick when I work, leaves early and things she says or does to me. The union said writing this down is important as it can be a form or retaliation.
    via u/Laxit00
  • 14
    Just document your washroom trips and just stay away from these tattle tales who have nothing else better to do than worry about you and not themselves. I can bet this person takes longer breaks, takes reg bath breaks, leaves early, comes in late ate some point so shes far from purrfect.
    via u/Laxit00
  • 15
    Sulp_da00 OP. 20 hr. ago She does all you mentioned! She is always late but also leaves late cause she likes to sit in the back office to gossip, gets frequent breaks to smoke or gossip again, and she often goes out to speak on the phone. I haven't done many shifts with her, but people that have always mention this
    via u/Sulp_da00
  • 16
    EpexSpex. 19 hr. ago Keep 2 timers on your desk. One for when you leave your desk, Start your timer and one for when she leaves the desk and start hers. See at the end of the day/week whos missed more hours of work. Maybe also grill her so when she gives you an answer write it down like
    via u/EpexSpex
  • 17
    "10 mins spent gossiping at the watercooler" "20 mins spent smoking" If you take this up i look forward to reading your r/pettyrevenge post in a few weeks lol.
    via u/EpexSpex
  • 18
    • squirrelfoot 17 hr. ago You have three options: • Be the bigger person and ignore her, Retaliate by documenting and reporting her bad behaviour,
    via u/squirrelfoot
  • 19
    • Be childish and make a joke of her behaviour by inventing a stupid name for her; Mrs Toilet Police, Mrs All Day Break, or Mrs Gossip, for example. Whenever you have to talk about her with colleages, use the stupid name. It's a very childish option, but when you just want to survive in a really toxic environment, it helps.
    via u/squirrelfoot
  • 20
    lapsteelguitar 17 hr. ago "How do you have so much free time to monitor the bathroom?" 8 Reply Share Sea-Classic-7797. 12 hr. ago Thisss, she must not have enough work and is looking for extra things to do
    via u/lapsteelguitar, u/Sea-Classic-7797
  • 21
    Proof-Recognition374 · 11 hr. ago Document everything and take it with your boss and HR.
    via u/Proof-Recognition374
  • 22
    skeeter04 · 17 hr. ago Talk to your boss about her attitude and unteamwork like conduct to cover your bases. Overall she is just making herself look like an idiot because you two are not in elementary school.
    via u/skeeter04

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terrible coworkers workplace-stories employee job tales-from-the-workplace coworkers reddit story Office workplace entitled Reddit company entitled people
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