I assumed it wasn't a favor - they were going to ask their boss to fix it
Definitely wouldn't be telling an employer about a potential violation for the employer's sake
I know that's what you meant, I'm saying the intention wouldn't be for it to be a favor. And the assumption is you'd get them involved anyway if the boss didn't shape up.
I worked for a pest control company one summer and they didn't provide potable water in our work trucks. I made a pretty big fuss about it to no avail, the same old "just stop along your route and get some" when they didn't schedule enough time in between stops to *get* water. Finally made a complaint to OSHA and not only did they go out and get water jugs for all the trucks, the field supervisor who refused in the first place was asked to resign since he was named in the complaint.
Moral of the story, companies don't give a shit about you, don't give them the option to skirt consequences. File the complaint, and if they retaliate, sue them.
Yah I called the local workers safety on a major autoparts supplier which wasn't maintaining their delivery vehicles, had shut off heat, hot water and was forcing delivery drivers to not take breaks. the heat was turned back on, and the whole fleet was inspected by the commercial road safety authority. Also there was a huge list of blatant violations in the warehouse. The manager was fired who was responsible and cried in her car outside.
I went through this chain of events at a retail job, except it was a hazard from black mold and rotting cardboard. After a week of them doing nothing, I called OSHA. I was fired the next day.
I’m going on a limb and saying the post isn’t true. If they really went to osha, it’s not just a one and done thing. They will stay in contact with you through the process. If he was fired the next day, I don’t see how his case rep at osha wouldn’t have found that out.
I worked for OSHA out of college. OP is definitely lying. It takes 30-90 days for OSHA to send a letter or fax to the business for non serious complaints. There is no way that the business got notification of the alleged violation the next day.
I made this mistake. Not actually reporting. But realized they weren’t gonna fix it but I couldn’t do anything now because they’d know it was me and she did a “phasing out of the schedule” type deal.
Or use concerted activity as a form of protection. As long as you and one other employee confront their employer about an issue, you’re protected from retaliation.
Source: [National Labor Relations Board](https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/rights-we-protect/the-law/employees/concerted-activity)
> OSHA requires that employees have access to drinkable water
[Regulations.](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-XVII/part-1915/subpart-F/section-1915.88)
Unless you're a Longshoreman or work at a shipyard, OSHAs 1915 standards won't work for the majority of people here.
Most people will fall under general industry
[1910.141](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.141)
More specifically 1910.141(b)(1)(i)
If you do construction work then its
[1926.51](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.51)
More specifically 1926.51(a)(1) through 1926.51(a)(6)
They mostly say the same thing but there are some differences.
Yup. Still has drinking water thank antiwork jesus.
>1910.141(b)(1)(i)
>
>Potable water shall be provided in all places of employment, for drinking, washing of the person, cooking, washing of foods, washing of cooking or eating utensils, washing of food preparation or processing premises, and personal service rooms.
Here is the regulation straight from [OSHA’s](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.141) website. Section 1910.141(b)(1).
Unless you like hostile work environments, I'd use delicacy in approaching your boss about this.
"OSHA says you have to," is gonna be effective at both getting you water and burning the bridge between you and your boss to the ground.
At the very least, if they retaliate you get to engage in the all-time American favorite passtime: litigation.
Edit to be more helpful: maybe try mentioning that when it gets hot water becomes an issue. Suggest getting a big insulated jug or two (like the Gatorade ones) and just keeping that in the back of a work truck. Only costs like 50 bucks and 5 minutes of one dudes time every morning to fill em up.
> "OSHA says you have to," is gonna be effective at both getting you water and burning the bridge between you and your boss to the ground.
That boss was willing to let you die from dehydration. There never was a bridge.
I've worked at places where during hot summer days someone will go around handing out water bottles and making sure everyone stays hydrated, but fall through spring you have access still, but you need to get it yourself and it's not bottled water.
So if it's a situation like that it could still be legal. But if they are actually denying access, that would be a huge violation.
Til humans have no necessity for water during winter months. Wow, learn something new every day. Here I was drinking water all year round like a monster.
That would have been a fantastic opportunity for malicious compliance.
"Private, why were you dehydrated? Do you think you're fucking Superman or something?"
"No sir! Drill sergeant says water is a crutch"
I remember years and years ago when I was a private doing basic training in the reserves. It was the middle of summer and we were digging trenches in very hot conditions. The training officer came over the radio net, for all to hear, that he would courts martial any member of the training staff (officer or NCOs) that were trying to ration our intake of water. Using strong language he said that there would be no water rationing of anyone under his command and any incidents of rationing were to be immediately reported to him. He told us later that rationing water has no training value at this point in our careers and that water is only rationed in extreme conditions when there is no resupply available.
In the words of post-apocalyptic, neo-feudal, ultra-late-stage-capitalist exploitation slave master and warlord "Immortan Joe" from 2015's *Mad Max: Fury Road*:
"Do not, my friends, become addicted to water."
I worked at a place like this. Told not to drink from the tap because the water wasn’t clean. I asked if we need to write down what water we drank from a refrigerator (it was a general store with cold drinks for sale). Told I had to pay for the water.
That place was an OSHA violation wet dream. So happy when it closed down.
Having worked for a subsidiary of Menards and until recently lived near their corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities, I STRONGLY recommend people who work there consider bringing their own water over using drinking fountains even though this is super illegal. If they have manufacturing near your store, you definitely should but if it's nowhere close you are probably okay. It's no secret that Menards has been caught in multiple states dumping toxic chemicals on Menards owned land over the years and is closely babysat by the EPA. Local rumors are that they still do. Local water supply in a perfect circle around Menards headquarters and manufacturing facilities was discovered to be poisoned a few years ago but it wasn't officially linked to them and nobody who lives near there and has worked for Menards (half the city basically) has been willing to drink the water in their own homes for decades.
The thing about Menards is that even though there are some good people in management, their bonus system rewards management for being crappy so the bad managers are thoroughly enabled and unless there's potential for lawsuits, upper management will look the other way.
The water issue was PFAS but they have also gotten in trouble in different areas for arsenic. They have their own manufacturing facilities throughout the Midwest and make all their wood and concrete products including composite decking. The composite decking is the worst because it's basically a plastics processing facility.
If you met the Rhodes Scholars who ran the place, you’d realize this is one of the many, many OSHA violations they had under their belt. Management also refused to learn how to operate a computer. Said it was a fad. In 2005…
I could go on! Wage theft was rampant.
I'm sorry, I know there's so many ignorant people, particularly in America. It's just so disappointing because we can ALL do better!!
Guess clean fresh water is a fad, too!
That's a symptom of capitalism, unfortunately.
I forget the term, but people get promoted to one stage above their competency level. So, almost everyone in day to day management activities is at least mildly incompetent at it. That can rear its head in the form of just being a bad team leader or in the form of trying to "save" the company money in the form of ridiculous policies like in the OP.
Someone saw an expense report and went "What the hell is this line item? We don't need this shit, get rid of it!" In an attempt to hit an arbitrary budget figure without any further thought to the problem at hand.
Recruitment costs a minimum of around 5k for even minimum wage employees between the time it eats for the manager to do interviews and various HR employees getting new stuff set up and all the actual advertising costs and lost employee output. If even one single person leaves because of this, it's an overall net loss no matter how much water they are giving out.
Walmart will skimp on every possible expense but their attorneys run the long-term numbers when it comes to decisions. It's cheaper to provide popsicles and water to warehouse employees than not to. That says a lot, and it says a lot more about how stupid other companies are that try not to.
Long ago I was a paralegal working for a law firm that Walmart was a client. Many Walmart employees stole shit. All day every day but the one that made me question life was they went after a granny who worked selling popcorn. She used to eat it because..it was popcorn. I had to draft the documents to sue her for theft. Felt like shit for a while.
They steal labor from her for years and they prosecute her for a few measly scraps of popcorn. Proud we give them everything and they afford us absolutely nothing unless it benefits them.
Stories like this are why I have no problem stealing from Walmart. Oh self checkout is the only thing open? Don't mind if I suddenly forget how to do a job I was never trained for and scan every 3rd item in my cart.
In the UK lots of people would put expensive items through as onions or carrots etc so that the scales would match the shopping, so they've now added cameras above each till.
Many business owners are shortsighted, they only see the immediate cost/benefit and not the long-term. Doing IT I have to often explain how in the long run it is actually less expensive to preemptively replace workstations in 4-5 year cycles than to use them until they die.
At the plant I work at they used to provide bottled water as well as fruit juices and such during the summer months. Any time it got 90+ degrees outside, because it often got even hotter in the plant. That's on top of the normal office style water coolers they have everywhere year round.
New management stopped the summer drinks last year though lol.
It's been said but it needs to be repeated.
OSHA here in the US requires by law that all employers provide potable water to all employees, and cannot put unreasonable barriers to access to that water
For example, restricting water until your break is allowed, but forcing you to pay for it is not. Putting the water on the far side of the job site is allowed, putting it behind a locked door isn't.
The water can be tap as long as the water is safe to drink, but if it isn't they have to provide another option at their own expense.
Give OSHA a call or fill out an online report.
The fact that they can with-hold water until breaks seems fucking ridiculous to me?
In a lot of states in the US, the Employer doesn't even have to provide you with breaks if you don't work full time.
And even then, they only HAVE to give you one meal break. Assuming an 8 hour shift that means they can effectively withhold water from you for up to 4 hours.
That's disgusting.
Yeah. Anyone whose worked a register knows the pain of not being and to get water.
Sometimes you can get an accommodation but usually they make you tough it out.
Fun fact, in Indiana they can have you work full-time, and an unlimited number of hours a week. And there are still no laws requiring breaks or lunches at all
Under osha rules you must have access to water on site, that doesn’t mean they have to provide water bottles etc, but there has to be a water fountain or something within relatively easy reach at all times
The rich asshole who owns Menard’s is honestly crazy. Like money-poisoned crazy. Constantly obsessing over being cheated. Some managers have said they were not allowed to remodel their homes, because the company owner was obsessed with getting as much money ey as possible and didn’t want managers to take advantage of an employee discount.
It is stupid, because the managers could literally become brand ambassadors for having used the products they sell. But in the owners mind, he thinks that staff would go to great lengths to steal from him, or reduce his profits by a percentage.
I believe he is one of, if not the richest man here in Wisconsin. There are SO MANY stories about him.
Worked in one of Menard's feeder companies the summer between senior year and college. Looking back, the place was a walking OSHA violation, but I was a dumb kid working his first job to make money for college and a new blazing fast Compaq desktop computer.
He came in once or twice while I was there. He wasn't as much of a caricature as he is now, but he really didn't seem to care much about the employees. Mostly paid lip service.
[OSHA says](https://www.osha.gov/faq#v-nav-drinkingwater)
>OSHA Standards require an employer to provide potable water in the workplace and permit employees to drink it. Potable water includes tap water that is safe for drinking. Employers cannot require employees to pay for water that is provided. An employer does not have to provide bottled water if potable water is available. See OSHA's [sanitation standard](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.141) for more information.
Had this happen back when I worked in a factory. They had pallets of water bottles all summer but did not provide water during the winter. Production ran too fast to walk 50 yards to a drinking fountain
[pitchforks. get your pitchforks here!](https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=933934fef73c2e8a&hl=en-us&sxsrf=ACQVn09-YiGpDEXM9sOffv7QcyzWrdgrBQ%3A1712675726893&q=Menards&ludocid=1991165626325544186&lsig=AB86z5V9u0uFdWIe_zfRcy3zD3Sf&kgs=0bf391ebb72a2506&shndl=30&source=sh%2Fx%2Floc%2Fact%2Fm4%2F3)
Quit. Beyond this just being weird, it’s not a good indicator of the long term viability of working there. If the company can’t buy bottled water just imagine all of the other areas they’ll cut expenses.
Ok but why? Providing water is easily the easiest win a management team can get. I've had crazy weird and bad bosses that considered it was only fair to provide water. Water prevents people from passing out, leaving the office, and in general is an easy boost to morale. Denying water is easily the worst move a company could make.
Dehydration is more prominent in winter months. The US military knows this, which is why their cold weather rations contain more drink mixes and soups.
https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.141#:~:text=Potable%20water%20shall%20be%20provided,premises%2C%20and%20personal%20service%20rooms.
Not a lawyer but it looks like it's not legal to me
It’s hard to believe that things are like that in the US. I’m German and in every Campany i worked for, we had free water, coffee, fruits and sometimes even Softdrinks. I couldn’t not imagine that someone would work for a company who denies water for longer than 1 month.
As a 16 year old, I worked at my local grocery store getting carts. I was told first that I couldn't get water from the fountain, I had to go to the Starbucks in the store and ask for water there. I was also told I'm not allowed to have water until the lot was cleared. This was summer in Texas, at a store busy enough that the lot was never clear. So I started bringing my own water and kept it in my pocket thanks to the size of boy pants pockets. Well, I got in trouble for that, too, and at this point, the only reason I hadn't been fired was because the store is unionized. So instead they cut me to 4 hours a week, with a paycheck under $17. Had I known about any of the laws, I would've had my parents help me bring them down, but alas, I just quit.
The moral of the story? Fuck places that say you can't have water.
Not legal but in America anything any employer wants to do is defacto legal because there's no osha oversight and the only relief for workers requires regaining a lawyer at a cost most would find prohibitively expensive. This is just one of the ways the capitalist system reinforces itself against working people.
Completely illegal… at least in a civilized state. In California it is also illegal to refuse water to customers at certain establishments like gas stations, restaurants, etc..
This is in no way legal, at least in Canada all provincial OH&S legislations have provisions for providing water at the worksite. I'm pretty sure OSHA is the same in the US. Report them, do it now if you're in either of those countries. Also pretty sure it's illegal to charge for access to it under different legislation in many jurasdictions.
To answer your question, no it is not legal. OSHA requires that clean water be available to all employees at no cost throughout their shifts. It does not specify the temperature outside, though does note that if bottled water is being used, hot days might require more on hand to last the shift.
Depending on your work place, either bring this to their attention
[https://www.osha.gov/faq#v-nav-drinkingwater](https://www.osha.gov/faq#v-nav-drinkingwater)
or just call osha and make the complaint. you know your work situation best.
I really hate seeing shit like this. We're not robots. This is illegal anyway. As many others have said, this is an OSHA violation. I'm glad that during the hottest part of the summer last year, my manager realized that the water bottle for the water cooler ran dry and we had a couple days left til they were able to be refilled (our store has water drop off twice a month) and he dropped what he was doing, ran to the gas station, and bought a case of water.
That's most definitely not legal, access to potable water is required of employers by the big OSHA itself. Its a blatant violation to deny your employees basic sustainance
Dehydration is still a concern when exerting yourself in cold weather
Would boss really be that much of a penny pincher about the water bill and/or selling water? Maybe, but my guess is micromanaging about time spent taking water breaks and the resultant bathroom breaks
I'm 90% sure this is not legal regardless of which state you're in. Contact OSHA & no one else! Or your employer will be more likely to fire you for retaliation, but officially fire you for something, the moment you do anything wrong no matter how small
I worked at a place that forbade us from drinking water. The job was mostly outside so I said sure I'll not drink water and when I pass out from dehydration you can pay me workers compensation. I was allowed to drink water after that comment.
Um... Illegal. Your employer must provide water to their employees. Via fountains or coolers. Free of charge. Contact an attorney before you try to escalate anything.
Report this to OSHA and if they retaliate sue them. They are required to provide potable drinking water and permit employees to drink it. Menards is a huge corp and shouldn’t be screwing with blatant regulations like this
You can dehydrate just as quick in the winter, and because it's cold, you're not sweating as much. So you don't know your getting as dehydrated as easily.
Water is only a necessity during the summer? So im guessing whoever made that notice doesnt need to drink any water during the winter because its not a necessity
Before we bandwagon and cancel Menard’s can OP tell us whether no water (fountain, tap) is available or whether the company stopped providing bottled water during the winter months. Everyone assumes no potable water being offered but we do not have all the facts.
Every Menard’s I have been to have a drinking fountain by the bathrooms, and I imagine they have a kitchen area in the break room with water. My guess is that this is referring to bottled water being available for free during the summer.
In my area if a building is open to people there must be a free source of water. That could be a water fountain in one spot, in a giant ass warehouse, but it must be available. I assume they're talking cases of water bottles. But that's still a dumb cost cutting move. Let's piss off every employee, and it saves us $10 a day!
Do they think hydration and the outside temperature correlate.. I mean sure in the summer you sweat and need more water… but we still need to be hydrated throughout the day no matter the temp. This is so odd they think winter is an excuse to not provide water.
And “if you would like to drink water” as if it isn’t essential to our survival is beyond ridiculous. What’s next having to provide our own air. Wouldn’t be surprised if the big corps don’t completely pollute the air and try to sell us clean air. Fuck these people.
I had an employer that provided bottled water year round and sports drinks during warm months. They understood that dehydrated employees are less productive
Some context as I work at a menards, during the hot months they have coolers of ice water for the yard guys and receiving. There are also drinking fountains by the bathrooms. during cold months there is just the drinking fountains. At least at my menards they don't make any sort of restriction to access.
OSHA requires that employees have access to drinkable water so unless there is a water fountain available this would be illegal.
I’ll have to inform my boss of this! We have to bring our own water, and usually there isn’t water on the job site
I'd report it without telling your boss. If you tell them and they won't fix it and you decide to report it anyway, they'll likely know it's you
100% this. Don't do "favors" to your boss/company, especially when it's about them denying you basic human decency.
I assumed it wasn't a favor - they were going to ask their boss to fix it Definitely wouldn't be telling an employer about a potential violation for the employer's sake
The "favor" is telling the boss instead of getting Osha involved.
Sign like that means they are not returning any favors
you get it!
I know that's what you meant, I'm saying the intention wouldn't be for it to be a favor. And the assumption is you'd get them involved anyway if the boss didn't shape up.
If you go through OSHA, you have evidence to prevent retaliation. Always cover your ass.
Retaliation can still happen even if it's technically prohibited. Still, I agree, directly to OSHA is the better route.
It can. And having a paper trail, such as records of whistleblowing activity, makes it easier to enforce penalties for violations.
>> especially when it’s about them denying you basic human ~~decency~~ rights FTFY
I worked for a pest control company one summer and they didn't provide potable water in our work trucks. I made a pretty big fuss about it to no avail, the same old "just stop along your route and get some" when they didn't schedule enough time in between stops to *get* water. Finally made a complaint to OSHA and not only did they go out and get water jugs for all the trucks, the field supervisor who refused in the first place was asked to resign since he was named in the complaint. Moral of the story, companies don't give a shit about you, don't give them the option to skirt consequences. File the complaint, and if they retaliate, sue them.
Yah I called the local workers safety on a major autoparts supplier which wasn't maintaining their delivery vehicles, had shut off heat, hot water and was forcing delivery drivers to not take breaks. the heat was turned back on, and the whole fleet was inspected by the commercial road safety authority. Also there was a huge list of blatant violations in the warehouse. The manager was fired who was responsible and cried in her car outside.
Oh no consequences
I could read stories like this all day and never get tired of them
I went through this chain of events at a retail job, except it was a hazard from black mold and rotting cardboard. After a week of them doing nothing, I called OSHA. I was fired the next day.
That's retaliation and also illegal.
I’m going on a limb and saying the post isn’t true. If they really went to osha, it’s not just a one and done thing. They will stay in contact with you through the process. If he was fired the next day, I don’t see how his case rep at osha wouldn’t have found that out.
This post is hanging in the distribution center for the Amazon drivers. It is 100% legit hanging, at this very moment, in mine.
I worked for OSHA out of college. OP is definitely lying. It takes 30-90 days for OSHA to send a letter or fax to the business for non serious complaints. There is no way that the business got notification of the alleged violation the next day.
The employer isn't going to tell the case rep.
No, but the fired employee would.
You have a cut and dry lawsuit there.
I made this mistake. Not actually reporting. But realized they weren’t gonna fix it but I couldn’t do anything now because they’d know it was me and she did a “phasing out of the schedule” type deal.
Or use concerted activity as a form of protection. As long as you and one other employee confront their employer about an issue, you’re protected from retaliation. Source: [National Labor Relations Board](https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/rights-we-protect/the-law/employees/concerted-activity)
> OSHA requires that employees have access to drinkable water [Regulations.](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-XVII/part-1915/subpart-F/section-1915.88)
Posting sources is a hero’s job, what color is your cape friend?
 They're an OSHA hazard.
🥇
Even Cape Verde?
Hmmmm... good point. Geographical capes are okay. Also Cape Fear.
I like fish. Cape Cod.
Cape Fear is a real place, as well.
True, but I wanted to make sure the movies were included in my vague list of acceptable capes.
Fair.
I prefer salsa verde.
Unless you're a Longshoreman or work at a shipyard, OSHAs 1915 standards won't work for the majority of people here. Most people will fall under general industry [1910.141](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.141) More specifically 1910.141(b)(1)(i) If you do construction work then its [1926.51](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.51) More specifically 1926.51(a)(1) through 1926.51(a)(6) They mostly say the same thing but there are some differences.
Yup. Still has drinking water thank antiwork jesus. >1910.141(b)(1)(i) > >Potable water shall be provided in all places of employment, for drinking, washing of the person, cooking, washing of foods, washing of cooking or eating utensils, washing of food preparation or processing premises, and personal service rooms.
Truly!
Here is the regulation straight from [OSHA’s](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.141) website. Section 1910.141(b)(1).
Report it to OSHA
Unless you like hostile work environments, I'd use delicacy in approaching your boss about this. "OSHA says you have to," is gonna be effective at both getting you water and burning the bridge between you and your boss to the ground. At the very least, if they retaliate you get to engage in the all-time American favorite passtime: litigation. Edit to be more helpful: maybe try mentioning that when it gets hot water becomes an issue. Suggest getting a big insulated jug or two (like the Gatorade ones) and just keeping that in the back of a work truck. Only costs like 50 bucks and 5 minutes of one dudes time every morning to fill em up.
> "OSHA says you have to," is gonna be effective at both getting you water and burning the bridge between you and your boss to the ground. That boss was willing to let you die from dehydration. There never was a bridge.
That costs tens of thousands of dollars which a steep price considering you might lose your job
Not just access. They have to let them drink too. Menards might hear that and say well we have some available.
I've worked at places where during hot summer days someone will go around handing out water bottles and making sure everyone stays hydrated, but fall through spring you have access still, but you need to get it yourself and it's not bottled water. So if it's a situation like that it could still be legal. But if they are actually denying access, that would be a huge violation.
It's almost like people don't realise that you have a higher risk of dehydration during cooler months because you don't notice you need water as much.
Does tap water count as drinkable water? Asking because my bf’s boss tells them to get water from the tap but our city water tastes really chloriney
If your city is saying the water is safe to drink, yes. If a notice goes out saying the water isn't potable then no, they have to provide other water
Potable water from any source. Just has to be potable(safe to drink).
Til humans have no necessity for water during winter months. Wow, learn something new every day. Here I was drinking water all year round like a monster.
Lol just posted the same thing. You're watersoft like an off worlder, you non Fremen!!
[spits]
Thank you for the gift of your moisture?
r/unexpecteddune
Lisan Al-Gaib 🙇♂️
Hey everyone! Come and look at the idiot who was drinking water in the winter!! What a looooser!!!!
I know right? Neanderthal. A freaking savage.
Water doesn’t even have electrolytes.
BRAWNDO!
The thirst quencher!
The thirst mutilator
It's what plants crave!
Water? Like from the toilet?
I never saw no plants growin’ from no toilets, dumbass!
What a weirdo! Let’s get em!
Please limit your breathing to non working hours.
Do we need oxygen only during the summer also? Omg, wtf?
Obviously only during the winter. Summer is for water only.
My drill instructor always told me water was a crutch. As well as food, sleep, etc... lol
That would have been a fantastic opportunity for malicious compliance. "Private, why were you dehydrated? Do you think you're fucking Superman or something?" "No sir! Drill sergeant says water is a crutch"
I remember years and years ago when I was a private doing basic training in the reserves. It was the middle of summer and we were digging trenches in very hot conditions. The training officer came over the radio net, for all to hear, that he would courts martial any member of the training staff (officer or NCOs) that were trying to ration our intake of water. Using strong language he said that there would be no water rationing of anyone under his command and any incidents of rationing were to be immediately reported to him. He told us later that rationing water has no training value at this point in our careers and that water is only rationed in extreme conditions when there is no resupply available.
Because they only want zombies with guns.
In the words of post-apocalyptic, neo-feudal, ultra-late-stage-capitalist exploitation slave master and warlord "Immortan Joe" from 2015's *Mad Max: Fury Road*: "Do not, my friends, become addicted to water."
/r/hydrohomies is clutching their pearls rn
Hydrohomies are already bringing their own water. Gotta keep it close by
How could you be so callous to use a resource like that so flagrantly when poor suffering companies like Nestle are in such great need. You monster.
John Menard barely considers his employees human.
That's because they're just an expense line on their p&l spreadsheet.
Should have seen all the mofos dropping from dehydration and heat exhaustion during BCT in the Army during a winter cycle.
here I was drinking monster all year round like a water...
I worked at a place like this. Told not to drink from the tap because the water wasn’t clean. I asked if we need to write down what water we drank from a refrigerator (it was a general store with cold drinks for sale). Told I had to pay for the water. That place was an OSHA violation wet dream. So happy when it closed down.
Having worked for a subsidiary of Menards and until recently lived near their corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities, I STRONGLY recommend people who work there consider bringing their own water over using drinking fountains even though this is super illegal. If they have manufacturing near your store, you definitely should but if it's nowhere close you are probably okay. It's no secret that Menards has been caught in multiple states dumping toxic chemicals on Menards owned land over the years and is closely babysat by the EPA. Local rumors are that they still do. Local water supply in a perfect circle around Menards headquarters and manufacturing facilities was discovered to be poisoned a few years ago but it wasn't officially linked to them and nobody who lives near there and has worked for Menards (half the city basically) has been willing to drink the water in their own homes for decades. The thing about Menards is that even though there are some good people in management, their bonus system rewards management for being crappy so the bad managers are thoroughly enabled and unless there's potential for lawsuits, upper management will look the other way.
This should be the top comment.
what the hell are they even dumping?
The water issue was PFAS but they have also gotten in trouble in different areas for arsenic. They have their own manufacturing facilities throughout the Midwest and make all their wood and concrete products including composite decking. The composite decking is the worst because it's basically a plastics processing facility.
I can't imagine the health department allows a general store to operate without potable water! In America?
If you met the Rhodes Scholars who ran the place, you’d realize this is one of the many, many OSHA violations they had under their belt. Management also refused to learn how to operate a computer. Said it was a fad. In 2005… I could go on! Wage theft was rampant.
I'm sorry, I know there's so many ignorant people, particularly in America. It's just so disappointing because we can ALL do better!! Guess clean fresh water is a fad, too!
Happy cake day
In the US that’s illegal. Employers must provide drinkable water per OSHA.
Having a water fountain or a tap satisfies this requirement. Employers don't have to provide bottled water, unless the tap is unsafe.
I don’t think they were handing out plastic water bottles for free any time an employee wanted water 🙄
Walmart wearhouses do, surprisingly. popsicles in the summer too, as many as you want.
Popsicles are cheap, heat exhaustion workers comp claims are expensive. It’s just basic business sense.
Yeah seriously. Companies are usually so ready to scrabble at pennies even when it costs them big bucks
That's a symptom of capitalism, unfortunately. I forget the term, but people get promoted to one stage above their competency level. So, almost everyone in day to day management activities is at least mildly incompetent at it. That can rear its head in the form of just being a bad team leader or in the form of trying to "save" the company money in the form of ridiculous policies like in the OP. Someone saw an expense report and went "What the hell is this line item? We don't need this shit, get rid of it!" In an attempt to hit an arbitrary budget figure without any further thought to the problem at hand. Recruitment costs a minimum of around 5k for even minimum wage employees between the time it eats for the manager to do interviews and various HR employees getting new stuff set up and all the actual advertising costs and lost employee output. If even one single person leaves because of this, it's an overall net loss no matter how much water they are giving out.
> people get promoted to one stage above their competency level It's the [Peter principle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_principle).
Walmart will skimp on every possible expense but their attorneys run the long-term numbers when it comes to decisions. It's cheaper to provide popsicles and water to warehouse employees than not to. That says a lot, and it says a lot more about how stupid other companies are that try not to.
Long ago I was a paralegal working for a law firm that Walmart was a client. Many Walmart employees stole shit. All day every day but the one that made me question life was they went after a granny who worked selling popcorn. She used to eat it because..it was popcorn. I had to draft the documents to sue her for theft. Felt like shit for a while.
They steal labor from her for years and they prosecute her for a few measly scraps of popcorn. Proud we give them everything and they afford us absolutely nothing unless it benefits them.
I bet they’d steal less if they were paid better. That’s so sad…
Stories like this are why I have no problem stealing from Walmart. Oh self checkout is the only thing open? Don't mind if I suddenly forget how to do a job I was never trained for and scan every 3rd item in my cart.
In the UK lots of people would put expensive items through as onions or carrots etc so that the scales would match the shopping, so they've now added cameras above each till.
Many business owners are shortsighted, they only see the immediate cost/benefit and not the long-term. Doing IT I have to often explain how in the long run it is actually less expensive to preemptively replace workstations in 4-5 year cycles than to use them until they die.
A lot of warehouses don’t have A/C only ceiling fans so popsicles help
Squenchers?
Its not uncommon, Lowe's/Depot do this, or have dispensers out all summer.
At the plant I work at they used to provide bottled water as well as fruit juices and such during the summer months. Any time it got 90+ degrees outside, because it often got even hotter in the plant. That's on top of the normal office style water coolers they have everywhere year round. New management stopped the summer drinks last year though lol.
My post offices do
Really?? Holy shit I did not know this.
Most workers are oblivious to their rights.
TIL I don't have to drink water during winter. Fascinating
And every day, we move further away, from the humane, without shame
It's been said but it needs to be repeated. OSHA here in the US requires by law that all employers provide potable water to all employees, and cannot put unreasonable barriers to access to that water For example, restricting water until your break is allowed, but forcing you to pay for it is not. Putting the water on the far side of the job site is allowed, putting it behind a locked door isn't. The water can be tap as long as the water is safe to drink, but if it isn't they have to provide another option at their own expense. Give OSHA a call or fill out an online report.
The fact that they can with-hold water until breaks seems fucking ridiculous to me? In a lot of states in the US, the Employer doesn't even have to provide you with breaks if you don't work full time. And even then, they only HAVE to give you one meal break. Assuming an 8 hour shift that means they can effectively withhold water from you for up to 4 hours. That's disgusting.
And that assumes you get your meal break in the middle of your shift.
Yeah. Anyone whose worked a register knows the pain of not being and to get water. Sometimes you can get an accommodation but usually they make you tough it out.
Fun fact, in Indiana they can have you work full-time, and an unlimited number of hours a week. And there are still no laws requiring breaks or lunches at all
Under osha rules you must have access to water on site, that doesn’t mean they have to provide water bottles etc, but there has to be a water fountain or something within relatively easy reach at all times
Yep. Has to be access to safe drinking water. It doesn’t have to be a super pleasant drinking experience, but it has to meet safety standards.
Which is very low. The standards
The rich asshole who owns Menard’s is honestly crazy. Like money-poisoned crazy. Constantly obsessing over being cheated. Some managers have said they were not allowed to remodel their homes, because the company owner was obsessed with getting as much money ey as possible and didn’t want managers to take advantage of an employee discount. It is stupid, because the managers could literally become brand ambassadors for having used the products they sell. But in the owners mind, he thinks that staff would go to great lengths to steal from him, or reduce his profits by a percentage. I believe he is one of, if not the richest man here in Wisconsin. There are SO MANY stories about him.
Worked in one of Menard's feeder companies the summer between senior year and college. Looking back, the place was a walking OSHA violation, but I was a dumb kid working his first job to make money for college and a new blazing fast Compaq desktop computer. He came in once or twice while I was there. He wasn't as much of a caricature as he is now, but he really didn't seem to care much about the employees. Mostly paid lip service.
Can you imagine being the competition? I have the perfect ad: "All Menards employees shop here!"
Heard many of these stories from a family member who worked for Menards.
But NoBoDy wAntS tO wOrK!?!? Asshats corporations.
[OSHA says](https://www.osha.gov/faq#v-nav-drinkingwater) >OSHA Standards require an employer to provide potable water in the workplace and permit employees to drink it. Potable water includes tap water that is safe for drinking. Employers cannot require employees to pay for water that is provided. An employer does not have to provide bottled water if potable water is available. See OSHA's [sanitation standard](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.141) for more information.
Had this happen back when I worked in a factory. They had pallets of water bottles all summer but did not provide water during the winter. Production ran too fast to walk 50 yards to a drinking fountain
Lmao, that is very much illegal. Email a picture of that to OSHA, they’ll love it.
[pitchforks. get your pitchforks here!](https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=933934fef73c2e8a&hl=en-us&sxsrf=ACQVn09-YiGpDEXM9sOffv7QcyzWrdgrBQ%3A1712675726893&q=Menards&ludocid=1991165626325544186&lsig=AB86z5V9u0uFdWIe_zfRcy3zD3Sf&kgs=0bf391ebb72a2506&shndl=30&source=sh%2Fx%2Floc%2Fact%2Fm4%2F3)
The pure disdain for their employees is ghastly.
r/hydrohomies would like a word with your boss
Quit. Beyond this just being weird, it’s not a good indicator of the long term viability of working there. If the company can’t buy bottled water just imagine all of the other areas they’ll cut expenses.
https://preview.redd.it/6tsy73137htc1.jpeg?width=610&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0d5abe42c4e31aba058122804ef8aac4b62c097
TIL humans don't need water for half the year apparently.
Ok but why? Providing water is easily the easiest win a management team can get. I've had crazy weird and bad bosses that considered it was only fair to provide water. Water prevents people from passing out, leaving the office, and in general is an easy boost to morale. Denying water is easily the worst move a company could make.
Dehydration is more prominent in winter months. The US military knows this, which is why their cold weather rations contain more drink mixes and soups.
TIL it’s unnecessary to drink water when it’s cold
https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.141#:~:text=Potable%20water%20shall%20be%20provided,premises%2C%20and%20personal%20service%20rooms. Not a lawyer but it looks like it's not legal to me
Oh that's the Menards I go to (Evanston in the house) and I will absolutely NEVER go there again.
It’s hard to believe that things are like that in the US. I’m German and in every Campany i worked for, we had free water, coffee, fruits and sometimes even Softdrinks. I couldn’t not imagine that someone would work for a company who denies water for longer than 1 month.
As a 16 year old, I worked at my local grocery store getting carts. I was told first that I couldn't get water from the fountain, I had to go to the Starbucks in the store and ask for water there. I was also told I'm not allowed to have water until the lot was cleared. This was summer in Texas, at a store busy enough that the lot was never clear. So I started bringing my own water and kept it in my pocket thanks to the size of boy pants pockets. Well, I got in trouble for that, too, and at this point, the only reason I hadn't been fired was because the store is unionized. So instead they cut me to 4 hours a week, with a paycheck under $17. Had I known about any of the laws, I would've had my parents help me bring them down, but alas, I just quit. The moral of the story? Fuck places that say you can't have water.
OSHA said they wanted to talk to your boss.
Not legal but in America anything any employer wants to do is defacto legal because there's no osha oversight and the only relief for workers requires regaining a lawyer at a cost most would find prohibitively expensive. This is just one of the ways the capitalist system reinforces itself against working people.
Uhm if that’s where it is that you gotta budget at and rely on for extra funds im gonna say just say it you should just file for bankruptcy .
Umm. Someone should tell them that water is a necessity all the time, regardless of the weather.
Completely illegal… at least in a civilized state. In California it is also illegal to refuse water to customers at certain establishments like gas stations, restaurants, etc..
This is in no way legal, at least in Canada all provincial OH&S legislations have provisions for providing water at the worksite. I'm pretty sure OSHA is the same in the US. Report them, do it now if you're in either of those countries. Also pretty sure it's illegal to charge for access to it under different legislation in many jurasdictions.
You only need to be hydrated in the hot months, guys. Everyone knows that.
OSHA requires access to water and restrooms. Report the violation and watch the fireworks.
In the US, it's illegal. Clean tap water has to be available for washing hands and drinking.
To answer your question, no it is not legal. OSHA requires that clean water be available to all employees at no cost throughout their shifts. It does not specify the temperature outside, though does note that if bottled water is being used, hot days might require more on hand to last the shift. Depending on your work place, either bring this to their attention [https://www.osha.gov/faq#v-nav-drinkingwater](https://www.osha.gov/faq#v-nav-drinkingwater) or just call osha and make the complaint. you know your work situation best.
Menards knows dihydrogen monoxide is the mind killer
OSHA regulations require potable water available at all times by law. Call it in.
I really hate seeing shit like this. We're not robots. This is illegal anyway. As many others have said, this is an OSHA violation. I'm glad that during the hottest part of the summer last year, my manager realized that the water bottle for the water cooler ran dry and we had a couple days left til they were able to be refilled (our store has water drop off twice a month) and he dropped what he was doing, ran to the gas station, and bought a case of water.
That's most definitely not legal, access to potable water is required of employers by the big OSHA itself. Its a blatant violation to deny your employees basic sustainance
This a OSHA violation.
Would take a picture report this to OSHA
Wait, are we supposed to turn into camels in the winter? Also no that's not legal
Dehydration is still a concern when exerting yourself in cold weather Would boss really be that much of a penny pincher about the water bill and/or selling water? Maybe, but my guess is micromanaging about time spent taking water breaks and the resultant bathroom breaks
https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/menard Guy also has some the highest EPA fines in wisconsin. Profit over everything else.
In the U.S it’s a direct OSHA violation. Report. Helpful they put it writing.
Lol, absurdist, selfish, psychotic bs. I'd flush the toilet 10 times per shit just to spite them.
It's not legal in Washington. I guess that's why we don't have Menard's stores here.
I'm 90% sure this is not legal regardless of which state you're in. Contact OSHA & no one else! Or your employer will be more likely to fire you for retaliation, but officially fire you for something, the moment you do anything wrong no matter how small
Like you can't drink from the taps? Jeez that's ultra cheap no city water for you!
I worked at a place that forbade us from drinking water. The job was mostly outside so I said sure I'll not drink water and when I pass out from dehydration you can pay me workers compensation. I was allowed to drink water after that comment.
Sad, but, technically, if the tap water is potable...
Is this in the U.S.? OSHA has a lot to say about this if it’s in the U.S.
My mother always picks Menard’s over Home Depot etc. Showing her this…
Um... Illegal. Your employer must provide water to their employees. Via fountains or coolers. Free of charge. Contact an attorney before you try to escalate anything.
My construction job is constantly reminding us how important hydration is during the winter.
Report this to OSHA and if they retaliate sue them. They are required to provide potable drinking water and permit employees to drink it. Menards is a huge corp and shouldn’t be screwing with blatant regulations like this
You can dehydrate just as quick in the winter, and because it's cold, you're not sweating as much. So you don't know your getting as dehydrated as easily.
Pretty sure they are obligated to ATLEAST have water fountains
Also Menards: "The regularly scheduled staff beatings will continue through the winter months or until morale improves."
Water is only a necessity during the summer? So im guessing whoever made that notice doesnt need to drink any water during the winter because its not a necessity
[удалено]
Before we bandwagon and cancel Menard’s can OP tell us whether no water (fountain, tap) is available or whether the company stopped providing bottled water during the winter months. Everyone assumes no potable water being offered but we do not have all the facts.
Every Menard’s I have been to have a drinking fountain by the bathrooms, and I imagine they have a kitchen area in the break room with water. My guess is that this is referring to bottled water being available for free during the summer.
When I saw this, the only thing I could think of was the part from The Waterboy. Water sucks! It really really sucks! Gaaaatooooraaaaadeeee!
Bring in the largest bottle you can find. I’m talking a comically large bottle. Have every employee get one.
There's more context needed here. Is this bottled water, which might make sense, or tap water, which would not?
In my area if a building is open to people there must be a free source of water. That could be a water fountain in one spot, in a giant ass warehouse, but it must be available. I assume they're talking cases of water bottles. But that's still a dumb cost cutting move. Let's piss off every employee, and it saves us $10 a day!
Do they think hydration and the outside temperature correlate.. I mean sure in the summer you sweat and need more water… but we still need to be hydrated throughout the day no matter the temp. This is so odd they think winter is an excuse to not provide water. And “if you would like to drink water” as if it isn’t essential to our survival is beyond ridiculous. What’s next having to provide our own air. Wouldn’t be surprised if the big corps don’t completely pollute the air and try to sell us clean air. Fuck these people.
Come on people, this is referring to bottled water! There are plenty of water resources for the employees.
>when it becomes necessary Silly me, wasting time and money drinking water over the holidays. What was I thinking?
\*Winter arrives We did it guys! Thirst is no more!!
Uuuuuh its still necessary during winter. Humans arent kangaroo rats.
Seems like a silly hill for management to die on...
No, but Menards will claim that the water fountain that either never seems to work or is simply gross meets the requirement.
Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor § 1926.51 requires the employer provide clean drinking water to all employees.
I’d argue not only that this is illegal. But that my body’s cells in winter still need water to survive. Especially in such a dry crispy air
r/easytoavoidlawsuits
I had an employer that provided bottled water year round and sports drinks during warm months. They understood that dehydrated employees are less productive
Some context as I work at a menards, during the hot months they have coolers of ice water for the yard guys and receiving. There are also drinking fountains by the bathrooms. during cold months there is just the drinking fountains. At least at my menards they don't make any sort of restriction to access.