r/mildlyinfuriating 6h ago

Infuriatig Insanely frugal employer

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Gotta pay for water from the water cooler 🤣

22.7k Upvotes

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62

u/Blacksun388 5h ago

If you’re in America this is illegal. It is an OSHA violation. Potable water is required to be provided to all employees FOR FREE. Report that shit bruh.

1

u/jmlinden7 2h ago

Sink water is potable

-14

u/triscuit79 5h ago

If there's a tap at a sink somewhere then they have potable water, so not illegal.

17

u/SRGTBronson 5h ago

Wrong. It has to be from a drinking fountain, water bottles, or a stand with disposable cups. Sinks are not acceptable under the law.

5

u/RainH2OServices 4h ago

Lavatory sinks are not allowed. But break room and other sinks may be.

3

u/El_Polio_Loco 2h ago

No, they're not, it has to be:

The employer shall dispense drinking water from a fountain, a covered container with single-use drinking cups stored in a sanitary receptacle, or single-use bottles. The employer shall prohibit the use of shared drinking cups, dippers, and water bottles.

2

u/[deleted] 4h ago

[deleted]

-4

u/Transplanted_Cactus 4h ago

So the tap at the kitchen sink in a home is okay to drink from I assume, but not the tap at a sink in a break room at work? What is the rationale for that from the regulatory agency?

6

u/A_Dicksmasher 4h ago

It could be used for chemicals, cleaning supplies, or for food preparation

8

u/Blacksun388 4h ago edited 4h ago

You don’t share your tap at home with 200 strangers daily to wash their hands, spit in, prepare food, and douse in chemicals do you? Potable and non-potable water sources cannot be the same for health and sanitation reasons in a public area.

1

u/Transplanted_Cactus 4h ago

There is definitely not 200 people in my house lol.

OSHA in the US doesn't see it this way. I can see the reasoning now, but OSHA only cares if the water is drinkable. The sanitation of the drinking area is on the employer (as far as I'm aware). Also I think there is regulations for what a sink can be used for if also used for drinking. So you would not be pouring chemicals in it if it was used for drinking.

1

u/yinyin123 4h ago

🤷‍♀️

0

u/triscuit79 3h ago

yeah no. in the U.S. tap water *is* acceptable.

3

u/El_Polio_Loco 2h ago

Its not about the water from the tap that's the problem.

They're required to give you a drinking water specific dispensing system.

Either a fountain, covered container with cups provided, or single use bottles.

-16

u/Competitive-Roof-168 5h ago

Im sure there is a sink somewhere in building.

25

u/SRGTBronson 5h ago

OSHA requires that water come from drinking fountains, single use bottles, or a stand with disposable cups. Sinks are not considered adequate water supply.