Amazon Toilet Trauma

IBS, Diverticulosis, or Crohn's? Don't work here!

Ever had a case of explosive bowel movement? You know, after that poor choice at the gas station roller grill?

Imagine the urgency of needing to get to a toilet and then having to experience that pain and indignation every day, sometimes multiple times a day, because there aren’t available facilities at your place of employment.

That’s what it’s like for folks who work at many Amazon fulfillment centers who have irritable bowel syndrome, crohn’s disease, diverticulosis, and many other common forms of digestive disorder.

Since the issue has never been resolved despite half a decade of opportunity, we thought a bit of musical mockery might put some pressure on the giant corporation to finally get off the pot and do something about it.

The Texas Admin Code section 25 contains specific requirements for employers to provide adequate toilet facilities according to the number of employees occupying their building. During peak season, when Amazon ramps up their seasonal headcount to maximize the exploitation of Baby Jesus’s birthday, they ignore those regulations. The bare minimum number of toilets in the building are well below the required quantity, and the stalls that they do have are constantly occupied by lazy workers hiding out and scrolling on their phones.

When an employee filed a health and safety issue on this problem, Amazon management simply closed the request by stating that it was resolved by showing the employee where the restrooms were located.

The problem is certainly a hard nut to crack (no pun intended), since restroom privacy considerations are exactly what make it easy for lazy employees to hide from their duties in the stalls, but Amazon has had years to find solutions. Geekwire reported on the issue with Amazon in 2015 in their article, Amazon’s Potty Problem.

According to documents from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, the most consistent formal complaint from Amazonians is that there aren’t enough men’s bathrooms to accommodate all the male employees working at the company. - GeekWire