Abusive and inhuman companies are nothing new these days, however, one deli business from California took it a little too far when it came to treating its employees badly. Because one employee who plans to resign from the California store also claims that management kept denying water breaks, and they basically can’t drink water during work hours.
The information came from an unnamed employee under the Reddit username HaveAtThee, who took his woes to r/legaladvice to, well, look for legal advice on the matter. The disgruntled employee works or used to work at an unnamed Orange County grocery chain, which sadly didn’t have a union.
The employee then stated that management only allows them water breaks or basically drinking any water or beverage during their two 15-minute breaks and their lunch breaks. Apparently, they can’t sneak in even small 10-second water breaks during actual work hours. It gets worse, however, since the management has also frequently denied 15-minute breaks and even claims that it’s not illegal to deny water breaks. That’s not all, of course.
“I got called into the office where my employer proceeded to degrade my work and pointed out my clerks were “wasting time” drinking water… In my 8 years working at this company that was never an issue but suddenly today it was.
I’ve been denied my 15 minute breaks before as well, more so that I was accused of not working, which yes, because I’m allowed to take breaks. So I’m wondering is this legally allowed? I’m leaving that place and never looking back but I would like to report this man for abusing his employees. Do I have something or it is what it is?” according to Redditor HaveAtThee
Based on HaveAtThee’s complaints, it appears the change was relatively recent, and they might’ve gone under new management, or the leadership or boss has been replaced. On the comment thread of the Reddit post, the unnamed employee also appears to have been transferred to the Orange County store branch in question, meaning other branches might not have the same problem.
The Boss is Asking for Trouble
Immediately, the comment thread came up with some of the more obvious California laws. Some even pointed out how California heavily favors employees when it comes to labor laws, meaning Redditor HaveAtThee has a strong case here, presumably as long as they have evidence and testimonies on the matter.
The top advice even suggests bringing the case to a federal agency, namely OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), which could spell a lot of trouble not just for the particular branch’s boss, but also the store chain. In any case, the aforementioned Orange County store branch’s employees are very much eligible for a lawyer.
It’s worth noting that OSHA and the US federal laws don’t exactly have a minimum water break requirement in place since needs can vary. However, OSHA still requires employers to provide water for employees, along with reasonable opportunities for drinking water. Regulations can vary per state. In a hot climate like California, it appears employees should be allowed a certain amount of water per hour.
“I bet cal OSHA would love to hear about this,” suggests Redditor thespottedbunny
“Your employer is almost certainly incorrect in their opinion that denying water to employees is illegal,” advices Redditor CatOfGrey
“Labor laws in CA are heavily employee favored. That boss is asking for trouble. Document everything you’ll need it,” according to Redditor majikrat69
