Outrage

My employer, The Atlantic Superstore (more appropriately referred to as the ASS), has decreed that we, the cashiers, may no longer have the privilege of drinking water while we are working at the registers.

No water.

In a 5.5 hour shift, we get one 15-minute break which usually occurs around the 2 hour mark. For the rest of that time, we get...

No water.

Why? You may be wondering. I will tell you why:

To protect the employees.

Pardon me? Does water have some toxic properties I was not aware of?

No no - water itself is harmless (some might even argue it is vital for life).

But you see, as cashiers, our hands come into contact with meat & fish, not to mention dirty dirty money.

The ASS is worried that we will pick up our water bottles with our slimy meat covered, money germed hands (as we have been doing for years), and transfer all that gooey dirt right into our mouths!! We could get sick!!!

Is this news? Aren't I just as likely (or dare I say more likely) to get those germs into my mouth when I pop a tictac in my mouth? Or when I scratch my face etc. etc.??

Is drinking water really actually a privilege?

Does it matter that in the course of that 5.5 hour shift, I have to talk to hundreds of people and sometimes a nice slug of water really eases the throat?

I have been known to drink almost 3L of water during a shift before. It's dry in there. We get thirsty.

I have no point here, except that I cannot actually believe somebody has put this policy into place. I hope Shoppers is hiring.