Um, hold the chicken

Oxfam reports that workers at poultry producers have been denied bathroom breaks to the point that they resort to wearing diapers and seriously restricting fluid intake while working.   Now I would be tempted to just ignore this report except for a couple of factors.  First, a 1997 U.S. News & World Report article that indicates that chicken manure is a significant factor in beef diets, a practice which appears to continue, and second, an offhand comment I heard in a former job about line workers being afraid to go to the bathroom.

So while I never personally observed any coworkers wearing diapers, I am well aware that there are places where the pressure to produce is so intense, even the necessities of biology take second place or worse.  And if you wonder why you should wash your hands after handling uncooked chicken, there you go.  I'm all for efficiency and productivity, but there is a certain line that we really shouldn't cross.