Poultry workers say they are routinely denied bathroom breaks, according to a report by Oxfam America, based on interviews with workers at some of the nation’s biggest poultry companies, including Tyson Foods, Perdue and Pilgrim’s over the last three years.
“Workers struggle to cope with this denial of a basic human need,” says the report. “They urinate and defecate while standing on the line; they wear diapers to work; they restrict intake of liquids and fluids to dangerous degrees; they endure pain and discomfort while they worry about their health and job security. And it’s not just their dignity that suffers: they are in danger of serious health problems,” like kidney damage and bladder infections.
According to Oxfam, out of hundreds of interviews, only “a handful” of workers claimed to have their requests for bathroom breaks adequately met. Workers have to ask their supervisors for permission to use the bathroom, which requires the supervisor to find someone to take their spot in the processing line. To keep up with the pace of the work, many supervisors refuse the requests, says the report. Female workers are particularly affected by the lack of bathroom access, since they contend with menstruation, pregnancy and an increased chance for urinary infection.
The National Chicken Council defended the industry’s practices in an online statement after the report’s release, saying that restroom breaks are slotted into the the production schedule and additional accommodations are made for any medical issues.
“The health, safety and respect of our employees is very important, and we value their contributions in helping to produce our food,” the council’s statement read. “We’re troubled by these claims but also question this group’s efforts to paint the whole industry with a broad brush based on a handful of anonymous claims. We believe such instances are extremely rare and that U.S. poultry companies work hard to prevent them.”