Suspicios illegal conduct from employer

[ramon87]

For the past 3 weeks my employer requested a mandatory daily detailed report of what we do and the time spent on each task (Ex. Fax 6 pages 10 minutes). I don't know much about workplace laws but to me it seems that this conduct is illegal to some extend. My employer even threatened to fire us if the report is not summited by the end of the week. If it is illegal then how can we deal with it?

Thank you.

 

[Theresagail]

No, They want to see if they are getting what they are paying for-- Your Employer is telling you to complete a task, if you don't complete the task they they will fire you and hire someone else that will--- Completely legal!

 

[Patricia_Young]

Of course it's legal. Why would you think it wouldn't be?

 

[ramon87]

it still legal even if they required you to write down the time you spend in the bathroom and how many times you went, as well how many times you went to the water cooler water?

 

[mightymoose]

Yes.
The law allows you a certain length of time for breaks at certain intervals.
Your employer is simply conducting a study to track productivity of the employees. They want to know which tasks take the most time and find out what areas need improvement.
Nothing illegal about it... can't imagine why you would think it would be.
Are you doing something you don't want them to know about?

 

[ramon87]

not really; is just that to me that sudden change they made with no explanation seems a bit suspicious and the part of wanting to know the lenght of our bathroom breaks feels like a violation of privacy, but if its only a small study then I guess is nothing to be alarmed of.

thank you, very much

 

[mightymoose]

Employers want to know where their money goes.
They don't pay employees to take bathroom breaks or hang out around the water cooler...

The law allows you a specific amount of time for breaks based on the hours you work. If they see that employees are not using their time productively then they may need to adjust their policies. They can also learn what tasks are the most time consuming and which employees are most productive.

 

[Patricia_Young]

Actually, PA law doesn't require rest breaks at all. OSHA merely requires the employees be given "adequate time".

 

[Green_Hornet]

Wow wow lets not get ridiculous here. Yes. As noted the employer can ask for a detailed account of your time. No. You can not be fired for going to the bathroom. Depending on the type of job, how much you make, and other factors an employer that fired you for going to the bathroom in PA would be skating on very thin legal ice if he fired you for such an arbitrary reason.