Wendy’s Employee Urinates On Herself, Maria Rivas Was Refused A Restroom Break And Forced To Work

A Wendy’s employee urinated on herself after her request for a restroom break was denied.

According to Daily Hype Online, Maria Rivas was forced to continue working in soiled clothes, after her manager refused to let her leave her station to go to the restroom.

Apparently, Wendy’s has a strict “no bathroom break” policy that is implemented during their lunch rush hour from 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. When Rivas repeatedly asked her manager to take a break to relieve herself, she was firmly told “no.” Maria is currently on medication for diabetes, a thyroid disorder and high cholesterol. Because one of the common side effects of the medication is an uncontrollable bladder, Maria accidentally urinated on herself.

Despite the potential, and obvious, health code violations, Rivas’ manager forced her to work the remainder of her shift in her soiled clothes, which was not only uncomfortable, but humiliating as well.

“He didn’t care and none of the other managers cared to tell me, ‘Mari, go to your house and change,'” Maria told NBC 7 in Spanish.

When asked why she didn’t simply leave her station and go to the restroom, Maria responded that she feared losing her job.

“I depend on this job,” Rivas said. “I don’t have another one.”

According to the restaurant’s management team, “Wendy’s policy is that no one can move from their positions unless an operation leader approves it during the three-hour lunch rush.” They also claimed that Riva did not make them aware of the situation until the end of her shift.

Wendy’s corporate offices and the HR director Donna Townsend later issued a statement regarding the incident.

“This is an isolated situation involving one employee at one restaurant. Our franchise strives to provide a positive working environment for all employees. We promptly investigated complaints arising out of this situation and believe that is was handled appropriately. When an employee request to go to the bathroom, permission is granted, as it is here.”

Maria’s attorney has since filed a claim to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, stating that Wendy’s failed to reasonably accommodate her for her health conditions. Wendy’s has made numerous settlement offers, but Rivas has turned them down because they were not reasonable amounts. Surprisingly, Maria is still employed by the restaurant.

What do you think about Wendy’s strict policy against bathroom breaks? Should they have offered Maria reasonable accommodations? Leave your comments below.

[Photo by Jack Olson/Getty Images]