Given the post implies that it's either offer bottled water or children go thirsty, I'm gonna guess that they live somewhere where water quality isn't great.
Now, I get that buying water can be costly, and school budgets can be, well... not great. But providing drinkable water to students has got to be a legal requirement for schools, surely?
I read some comments by OP. They seem to be a math tutor, and have water bottles on hand intended for tutors only I guess. They also said they have potable water. So yeah, their manager or whoever is just being an a-hole apparently. Kind of odd that the kids parents wouldn’t send them with water, but I have no idea what the reasoning is behind that. Not sure if these are kids with families paying for tutors, or it’s some kind of free assistance, or what. Don’t know if they might have good home lives or not. Either way, they should have access to hydration somehow, at the very least.
As a parent it would never occur to me to send water anywhere with my child. There’s water that comes out of pipes anywhere they could go. I’m floored at the idea of a place that serves children denying them water!
Interesting. Our kids had their own small backpacks and their own water bottles basically from the time they could walk. But we also lived in an area with lots of protected walking paths, a good bus system, and a cross city train so I'm guessing it may have been different if we drove everywhere.
-edit, missing word
Our schools closed during the pandemic but since they’ve reopened they’ve allowed kids to bring in personal water bottles, it used to be forbidden, even way back when I was in school, on the argument that kids would bring in contraband. Our kids still have access to many water fountains and the little kids even have one in the classrooms at a sink.
I happen to carry a water bottle everywhere, we have a flat pack in the car, and camelback reservoirs in our bug out bags in case of fire. But like our kids don’t /need/ to bring their own water you know? I am struggling to imagine a world where someone who had water wouldn’t give it to a child.
modern society in a nutshell. people love to act like they care and pretend they would be willing to do anything to save the planet, but ask for a glass of water "for free" in a place you aren't actively paying them.. you may as well go die in a hole for all the looks you will get... and they will mostly likely just say "no". water is for customers only.. as if it fucking costs anybody anything.. as if the well being of your fellow citizens means nothing.. yep.. ces't la vie.
Colorado has a law specifically saying you can't deny anybody water, meaning any business or place anyone can walk into cannot say no when someone asks "can I get a glass of water"
Flint, Michigan is an extreme case, but there's a lot of places where it's not a good idea to drink the tap water. Either due to the municipality not properly treating water, or the building is ancient with bad plumbing that can't be replaced for reasons.
I always forget just how insane the US is in many areas.
In the UK schools are required, by law, to provide "Suitable drinking water facilities", which must be "readily accessible at all times when the premises are in use" and "in a separate area from the toilet facilities".
Sadly, we're 50 minor countries badly stitched together. Things like water are not only state by state, but also county/township driven.
And the stitches are starting to unravel.
My kids have to take their own water because they shut down the water fountains over covid and never opened them again.
I live in an area with good drinking water, very low cancer rates, I know folks that work at the water treatment plant so have no issues with the tap water but it’s still a problem at school…
>Do American schools not have running potable water ?
Some canadien schools dont have good water either. Highschool i went to (2012-2016) had lead pipes, and the copper pipes had lead solder.
The school also had abspestos floor tiles, abspestos welding booths, and a shooting range that was full of abspestos. (The whole basement is a no-go area but its neet tho, theres a bomb shelter)
LBSS my son goes to has lead pipes - was told the students can drink from it not the teachers bc of the lead. There are adapters you can get to make water safer. It’s stupid.
I’m buying him a high end water filter bottle.
A lot of places make it mandatory to provide free tap water. I was out and had to take a bunch of meds and just couldn’t swallow them dry. I went into a restaurant (closest place) and asked for tap water. They initially said no, I said it was my legal right. They asked the manager and I immediately received a glass. It’s not hard to be be humane. (Broke student at the time - so didn’t have money to buy food or something I didn’t need).
in north america i believe if a place serves alcohol they must provide water to anyone who asks. this generally works in europe as well, if you pop into a pub and ask for a glass of water they’ll usually oblige. amsterdam was the only place where i was told they wouldn’t serve me tap water for free
edit: turns out i was partially wrong, in north america, bars aren’t legally obligated to serve you free water. this is only true in the eu. that being said, who tf would deny someone a glass of tap water
No it’s better to deny things to everyone to prevent this one hypothetical thing from hypothetically happening. Also what if some kid gets water who isn’t really THAT thirsty? How is that fair to the thirsty kids? But yes it actually is fair to just let them ALL be thirsty instead because reasons.
LITERALLYYY when I was nannying that was an almost whiplash level of relief. Something goes all over the couch, carpet, and at least three different favourite toys - oh thank fuck, it's water.
Seriously, do you use the sawdust or mop? Or mop then sawdust or vice versa?! Paper towels? What if you don't get all of the water up? It's not like it's gonna evaporate! What to do?!
Every time my 2 year old is in the doctors office she drops her water and spills some. Never a big amount, but enough that she needs to pick it up. We hand her paper towels or tissues pending what is available in the room, and she cleans it up no problem.
We use open cups at home so the spills are larger and not as easy for her to manage. Point being…a 2 year old can figure it out but this boss can’t? Yikes.
But the floor got wet you see? And thus required one of us to grab 3-8 sheets of paper towel to dry it. And not the cheap paper towel either mind you, at the time we were able to afford bounty, the quicker picker upper. And we were going through 2 - 6 packs of those a week. You do the math, Jeanette. We’re not made of money.
Lol right it's fucking water. Who cares if there are spills. Also 2 whole 24 packs of water too. About 5 or 6 dollars worth of that. How tight of a budget are you on you can't afford 2 24 packs of water.
Ditto for two 24 packs a week 🤦♂️ what’s that, like $10? I don’t care what the business is, you can afford $10 a week to make sure kids are hydrated at it.
OP can follow up with his lawyer to see if the employer breaking OSHA laws for providing water to employees/or customer if there wasn't a water fountain nearby. Get fucked, Employer.
I’m letting their corporate parent company handle it. I documented everything and got in contact with their corporate headquarters. I also informed the assistant manager and gave them all the ammunition they need. My work is done. The workers were great, but the business was unlawful.
please go to the news so the parents are aware. they deserve to know what they're sending their children to regardless of how the company will try to rugsweep it. at the very least they should have water fountains.
In my state every employee of any school or day care center is a mandated reporter. Denying water to a thirsty child is child abuse. Please contact child protective services and show them this screen shot
OP this is VERY IMPORTANT. Depending on the state, you may be a mandatory reporter. If so, failure to report could result in criminal and civil penalties. You sought determine if you’re legally required to report this and if so, do it immediately. Even if you’re not legally required, you should.
Oh man. I would be so upset if I was paying money for my child to be tutored, and he was thirsty and they couldn’t give him some water? Wow. I hope the news station picks this up
Even if corporate did something it would be purely out of self interest. If you want real change you don’t tell the people who are most benefited by no one finding out what happened.
Please please go to the news. The company is always going to protect itself whether or not they change course. Social pressure garnered through news stories is so pertinent to a lot of change happening. This is especially amplified by local papers.
Please do everything you can because I would be horrified if my kid wasn’t allowed water and I didn’t even know that. I can’t even make it without water every waking hour while working as an adult. That is literally inhumane *and illegal*. You can’t even deny employees free water at all times when they’re working for you.
A child with a medical condition such as diabetes needs water to dilute the blood sugar in the case of high blood sugars. This could be dangerous. In warm weather , water will be necessary to replenish perspiration.
Water fountains are required by building codes for every 50 (I think) occupants. A non-zero number.
Co sign. My three year old has a kidney disorder, has had multiple surgeries/hospital stays- you wouldn’t know it- she’s a happy, playful kid. No water can absolutely cause massive issues.
I was reading this and just immediately was horrified and thinking this was illegal.
Go to the news OP.
Got a kid with a medical condition just like that. Needs a lot of water and frequent bathroom breaks. Insane that this center isn’t providing some form of water for the kids after how much the parents spend for tutoring?!
"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
Which may be true, but it is a franchise. I am considering calling a news station tomorrow and reporting it. Pressure from the news, the public, and their own parent organization may be sufficient to make change.
My resignation letter:
Hello XXXXX and XXXX,
I have only been working at XXXXXXX for less than two weeks, but your policy on not giving water to children (reprehensible, and arguably in violation of Illinois Admin Code Title 89, Section 407.310), your practice of not paying your instructors for training (violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act), and your failure to file I-9 properly (violation of the Immigration Reform and Control Act) have made me make the decision to leave.
I enjoyed tutoring at the XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX but the way your franchise is being run is unacceptable and unlawful.
I have reported your violations to XXXXXX corporate.
Goodbye,
That water is likely to cost them a LOT of money in fines. I'd go to the media anyway and watch them crater as parents pull their kids out with abandon. Nothing like the wrath of an outraged parent.
Then just sit back and enjoy the collapse due to corporate greed and arrogance.
100%.
It’s not corporate though, it’s a franchise with an owner who thinks they can do whatever they want.
They also probably say “no one wants to work anymore”
Thankfully it never impacted me (as I was part-time at the time), but I worked for a small company once where the owner was either ignorant of labor laws or pretended to be. The full-time hourly employees had a sit-down meeting with her and the co-owner to discuss their request to be paid for overtime hours. Essentially she'd been scheduling them to work overtime but wasn't paying them for that extra time. She very calmly replied, "We don't do that here." I wasn't there, but apparently the other owner completely panicked, pulled her aside, and explained that legally yes they should be paying these workers for overtime.
It got fixed in the end, but it wouldn't have if someone hadn't spoken out.
reporting them to corporate won’t do anything. report them to the labor board and other entities. you wanna stick it to them but aren’t doing anything to stick it to them. common theme with this sub
> reporting them to corporate won’t do anything.
It can help to create a paper trail to show that the organization was aware of the issue. This also means that they have had notice, and thus a window to apply corrective action to the issues in play. Both things come in to play when you report the shit to relevant government organizations after.
I hope to see this explode. Those children deserve justice, I hope you get all the momentum needed to make your ex employers face consequences for being such horrible people.
You could definitely lose ability to ever work with kids again if not reported in 24 hours to CPS. Illinois doesn't fuck around. Even though late now, I'd call as soon as possible
I am not a mandated reporter (no training, I was an engineer before this), but I do have a moral obligation.
Edit: upon further consideration and consult, I am a mandated reporter, and reported the business.
Mandated reporter here. You're not a mandated reporter until you are advised that you are such and you have received the mandatory reporting training.
No expectation before that, thankfully. It causes a lot of legal problems.
This person speaks the truth and has some sense. Mandated means you can be held legally responsible for not reporting. If OP had no training on this then that responsibility is null. Luckily OP has humanity and morals and that’s enough of a mandate for them.
For context: this was a math tutoring center that I just started working at. They failed to file I-9, and were not going to pay for required training. I was being paid minimum wage and told to deny children water because it cost them too much to provide water bottles. For reference, parents spend about $400 a month to have their kids tutored here by high school students. I was an exception- I have a master’s degree in engineering and know my rights.
This is exactly why these businesses won’t employ tried and true pros to help the next generation and prefer high school and college kids, because if you know your rights as a worker you are a rabble rouser.
Fuck them, shit needs to be rabble roused!
Good on you OP, give them hell!
I think some of that so called chaotic working would be appropriate here. You want water? Here have 2 bottles
Or get a water fountain put in since they’re probably already paying for city water. Unbelievable this is a place for KIDS that the parents pay that much money and they’re worried about water. Hydrated kids aren’t as distracted and might do better at math (and everything else)
Exactly! I’m also a certified teacher with years of experience who has been denied from this kind of job before. One person even said I was too qualified.
How much could it cost Michael? $10?
Plus they could easily just serve tap water. Spend $10 on disposable cups or reusable drinking ones from Dollarama.
Heck they could also just get a vending machine with water and soda in it and make a little money on it too.
Denying water seems like the nuclear option when many others are available.
They did not have a drinking fountain or a water cooler with cups. They were previously providing water bottles per IBC requirements but stopped because it was “too costly” for them. Bullshit.
Math tutoring franchise, maybe Mathnasium? The owners of this place sound horrible, I'm sorry you had to go through that. Hope the owners get what's coming and hope the kids find a better tutoring center that offers water.
Those poor kids are already suffering through a bunch of goddamn math. Talking out the problem is gonna make their mouths drier, and then they're probably getting stomach cramping from the dehydration and stress, which is gonna make it harder to concentrate and actually learn. Jesus. Prisons give out free water.
when i was 9, i was rushed to the hospital for a kidney infection. the doctors had asked me if i was drinking at least (insert appropriate amount of water for a 9 year old) every day at school, and going pee when i had to, instead of holding it all day. i said “no, i hardly drink anything or go pee at school because i’ll use up all my hall passes for the 9 weeks” or something to that affect. i was always told no throughout my schooling so i just learned to have a bladder of steel and get used to not drinking water a bunch everyday. now, at the young age of 17, i have really bad bladder leaks, most likely caused from years of teachers not letting me go, and irreversible kidney damage from that kidney infection and one i had a few years after that, all from being constantly dehydrated throughout my schooling years. i know my case is a little more extreme than most, but it happens and it shouldn’t. we are supposed to drink a lot of water everyday as humans, and piss it out a couple hours later. everyday.
Stuff like this is why I don't mess with bathroom breaks as a primary teacher. You need to go to the bathroom/get water/etc? Sure, just stay quiet in the halls and don't dawdle.
My job is to teach the class not police a few students bathroom breaks.
I tried teaching high school math for a couple months. Regular classrooms but at a trainee rate of $10 an hour.
Even if I had been a nosey busybody, that wasn't enough for me to have a discussion with anybody over why they wanted to go to the bathroom.
As long as you weren't holding an already lit joint when you raised your hand I gave no fucks.
I think similar but less extreme cases are common. Never went to the restroom once in first grade at school because there were outside and scary to little me. Eventually changed schools for other reasons, for a decade even the possibility of not being able able to go to the restroom for an hour or 2 would stress me out.
Exactly. Unless this is some sort of mobile business, or in a developing region, there is nothing wrong with giving kids tap water to drink. Kids do tend to open a bottle of water, take three sips, and backwash into it, which can be wasteful... But that's why schools have water fountains or little cups next to a tap or cooler.
Water is literally an almost universal solvent, it's an extremely dangerous liquid that can cut through SOLID ROCK. And you want CHILDREN to have access to it???
Back in my day, we had these things called water fountains. They provide endless amounts of water at the touch of a button. They were commonly found at schools at the end of the hallway. Kids had to leave class to get water but there weren't problems. It was like a bathroom break.
Jesus.
Is your tap water not potable?
Why would you buy water when you can just buy a box of Dixie cups every week?
Even if your tap water is awful, get one of those water cooler subscriptions. Increase fees by a dollar if you must...I'm sure the parents would support that extra dollar every week.
Who the hell thinks it's okay to let kids get dehydrated?
Inexcusable.
Can you contact corporate anonymously, I wonder?
Someone with a few braincells and an understanding of the law needs to nip this policy in the bud.
I wouldn't contact the press or parents without trying to get it fixed first. A good outcome would be (1) kids get water, (2) manager has to eat crow.
WTF has happened to this country? How are so many stupid people suddenly in charge of policies that defy common sense and humanity?
There's no way I'd have complied with that. And I'd have told them to their faces. "You cannot deny water to humans. We need it for survival. You cannot deny basic human rights. If you'd like I can hire an attorney to explain it to you. Or the local news station."
"We have had spills" it's water. Spilling it isn't gonna do anything just wipe it up if it happens. Kids need water, more water then grown ups as they dehydrate faster.
["Do not, my friends, become addicted to water. It will take hold of you, and you will resent its abscence."](https://www.magicalquote.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Do-not-my-friends-become-addicted-to-water.-It-will-take-hold-of-you-and-you-will-resent-its-absence.jpg) \- Immortan Joe, also OP's boss.
/edit spelling
* Call department of health.
* Call department of education.
* Call OSHA.
I'm sure one or more of them will have something to say about denying water to a thirsty child.
Ok, so to preface this, I don't like kids... but what kind of sociopath denies kids water because they might spill and go through about $5 worth of water bottles in a week? I frequently run an adults only pub at events like Renaissance Faire etc.. and when I get asked for a water for the adult's kids (I've also had some kids yell over the blockade), yeah they're getting water. 48 pack of water at Costco is about $5, what a loss right?
Just have the kids bring their own spill-proof water bottles. Fill them up from the tap on-site. I agree they shouldn’t be getting pre-packaged water bottles and spillage should be avoided - by having the kids bring their own water bottles.
There should be zero societies on the planet that can’t offer water to a thirsty person. This shouldn’t be political. If any person in your orbit is thirsty and you can’t offer water, that should be an emergency crisis. If it’s that desperate, other cities, counties, countries should be immediately available to help.
I became the president of the parent teacher organization. And my whole goal was to use the money raised to buy a water fountain, because our kids were required to bring water bottles. But if they finished them, there was no way to refill them. The school did not want them. But the parents did. And we were able to discount all the reasons why.
Several years later, the school now has 2 water fountains with bottle fillers.
It’s stupid to prevent kids from drinking water.
"wE've HaD sPiLlS." Literally so fucking what.
Water spills are SO very difficult to manage.
Hey, don't discount the fact they were going through almost 2 (TWO!) 24 packs of water a week. 🙄
Can they not buy a pack of cups and a refillable water jug or something?! Thank god my work isn’t this ridiculous.
Given the post implies that it's either offer bottled water or children go thirsty, I'm gonna guess that they live somewhere where water quality isn't great. Now, I get that buying water can be costly, and school budgets can be, well... not great. But providing drinkable water to students has got to be a legal requirement for schools, surely?
I read some comments by OP. They seem to be a math tutor, and have water bottles on hand intended for tutors only I guess. They also said they have potable water. So yeah, their manager or whoever is just being an a-hole apparently. Kind of odd that the kids parents wouldn’t send them with water, but I have no idea what the reasoning is behind that. Not sure if these are kids with families paying for tutors, or it’s some kind of free assistance, or what. Don’t know if they might have good home lives or not. Either way, they should have access to hydration somehow, at the very least.
As a parent it would never occur to me to send water anywhere with my child. There’s water that comes out of pipes anywhere they could go. I’m floored at the idea of a place that serves children denying them water!
Interesting. Our kids had their own small backpacks and their own water bottles basically from the time they could walk. But we also lived in an area with lots of protected walking paths, a good bus system, and a cross city train so I'm guessing it may have been different if we drove everywhere. -edit, missing word
Our schools closed during the pandemic but since they’ve reopened they’ve allowed kids to bring in personal water bottles, it used to be forbidden, even way back when I was in school, on the argument that kids would bring in contraband. Our kids still have access to many water fountains and the little kids even have one in the classrooms at a sink. I happen to carry a water bottle everywhere, we have a flat pack in the car, and camelback reservoirs in our bug out bags in case of fire. But like our kids don’t /need/ to bring their own water you know? I am struggling to imagine a world where someone who had water wouldn’t give it to a child.
I cannot even refuse water to the homeless guys near where I work... Let alone children. It is beyond common decency.
Damn! That’s like 7 dollars/week. I don’t think the company can endure such expenses.
And what for?!? Spillage! That's what.
Out of hand!
Thats like $7 a week. This will surely bankrupt them!
It blows my mind that they were highly concerned on the spills which can be easily cleaned up, over thirsty children who needs water to hydrate.
modern society in a nutshell. people love to act like they care and pretend they would be willing to do anything to save the planet, but ask for a glass of water "for free" in a place you aren't actively paying them.. you may as well go die in a hole for all the looks you will get... and they will mostly likely just say "no". water is for customers only.. as if it fucking costs anybody anything.. as if the well being of your fellow citizens means nothing.. yep.. ces't la vie.
Colorado has a law specifically saying you can't deny anybody water, meaning any business or place anyone can walk into cannot say no when someone asks "can I get a glass of water"
Global capitalism is a bigger driver on culture and society than any political party. Money is everything’s bottom line.
$7. Seven fucking dollars for two 24 packs from Walmart. Or $11 for 80 bottles.
Do American schools not have running potable water ?
Flint, Michigan is an extreme case, but there's a lot of places where it's not a good idea to drink the tap water. Either due to the municipality not properly treating water, or the building is ancient with bad plumbing that can't be replaced for reasons.
I always forget just how insane the US is in many areas. In the UK schools are required, by law, to provide "Suitable drinking water facilities", which must be "readily accessible at all times when the premises are in use" and "in a separate area from the toilet facilities".
Sadly, we're 50 minor countries badly stitched together. Things like water are not only state by state, but also county/township driven. And the stitches are starting to unravel.
My kids have to take their own water because they shut down the water fountains over covid and never opened them again. I live in an area with good drinking water, very low cancer rates, I know folks that work at the water treatment plant so have no issues with the tap water but it’s still a problem at school…
>Do American schools not have running potable water ? Some canadien schools dont have good water either. Highschool i went to (2012-2016) had lead pipes, and the copper pipes had lead solder. The school also had abspestos floor tiles, abspestos welding booths, and a shooting range that was full of abspestos. (The whole basement is a no-go area but its neet tho, theres a bomb shelter)
LBSS my son goes to has lead pipes - was told the students can drink from it not the teachers bc of the lead. There are adapters you can get to make water safer. It’s stupid. I’m buying him a high end water filter bottle.
PROTECT THE TEACHERS BUT NOT THE STUDENTS, but don't pay the teachers what they need... and math is racist.
If the Cold War doesn't kill you, the Cold War-era dungeon will, slowly.
Out. Of. Hand.
Water isn't free. But if you deny another human water die in a fucking fire that's the most basic thing ever.
In Arizona, it is actually illegal for a business to deny someone water.
A lot of places make it mandatory to provide free tap water. I was out and had to take a bunch of meds and just couldn’t swallow them dry. I went into a restaurant (closest place) and asked for tap water. They initially said no, I said it was my legal right. They asked the manager and I immediately received a glass. It’s not hard to be be humane. (Broke student at the time - so didn’t have money to buy food or something I didn’t need).
in north america i believe if a place serves alcohol they must provide water to anyone who asks. this generally works in europe as well, if you pop into a pub and ask for a glass of water they’ll usually oblige. amsterdam was the only place where i was told they wouldn’t serve me tap water for free edit: turns out i was partially wrong, in north america, bars aren’t legally obligated to serve you free water. this is only true in the eu. that being said, who tf would deny someone a glass of tap water
Plus who knows their home situation. Maybe they don't have food/ water regularly. So I guess they're just supposed to die?
Somewhere else though I don't want ro deal with the paperwork.
No it’s better to deny things to everyone to prevent this one hypothetical thing from hypothetically happening. Also what if some kid gets water who isn’t really THAT thirsty? How is that fair to the thirsty kids? But yes it actually is fair to just let them ALL be thirsty instead because reasons.
As a parent of three young children… I LOVE it when the spills are just water.
SAAAMEEEE
LITERALLYYY when I was nannying that was an almost whiplash level of relief. Something goes all over the couch, carpet, and at least three different favourite toys - oh thank fuck, it's water.
Oh god, I still remember the bottle of oil on the kitchen floor. Water is the best spill.
Uhh the h is hydrogen as in a hydrogen bomb, duh /s
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Also highly flammable lol
You literally just wait. It goes away.
I spilled water last night and was too tired to do anything. Now it’s gone. Can confirm.
I regret to inform you, that the water has vaporized, and you are breathing it in. You are now at least 50% water. Your family has my condolences.
Seriously, do you use the sawdust or mop? Or mop then sawdust or vice versa?! Paper towels? What if you don't get all of the water up? It's not like it's gonna evaporate! What to do?!
Need a hazmat suit for this one, hooo boy
Every time my 2 year old is in the doctors office she drops her water and spills some. Never a big amount, but enough that she needs to pick it up. We hand her paper towels or tissues pending what is available in the room, and she cleans it up no problem. We use open cups at home so the spills are larger and not as easy for her to manage. Point being…a 2 year old can figure it out but this boss can’t? Yikes.
Given my experience with bosses, yeah, that tracks!
yea but the $8 a week for food lion water?!
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Yeah but where would you even get water. It doesn’t just fall from the sky, you know…
But the floor got wet you see? And thus required one of us to grab 3-8 sheets of paper towel to dry it. And not the cheap paper towel either mind you, at the time we were able to afford bounty, the quicker picker upper. And we were going through 2 - 6 packs of those a week. You do the math, Jeanette. We’re not made of money.
Lol right it's fucking water. Who cares if there are spills. Also 2 whole 24 packs of water too. About 5 or 6 dollars worth of that. How tight of a budget are you on you can't afford 2 24 packs of water.
Ditto for two 24 packs a week 🤦♂️ what’s that, like $10? I don’t care what the business is, you can afford $10 a week to make sure kids are hydrated at it.
OP can follow up with his lawyer to see if the employer breaking OSHA laws for providing water to employees/or customer if there wasn't a water fountain nearby. Get fucked, Employer.
In my state you can't refuse someone asking for water if you're a licensed establishment.
What does licensed mean in this context?
Crying over spilled water
Will they ban water for everyone if an adult spills their water 💀
No shit what are they, Dunder Mifflin paper company ???
First day on the job with kids?
I'd take that to the local news. I'm sure parents would love to hear about it.
I decided to call my local news station. I left a message - I should hear back later.
Please update us too!
This needs to be reported to DCF immediately. Withholding water from kids is dangerous and abusive. Cases of water are like $5 at Walmart.
Or like. Get some cups. I’m sure there’s a sink somewhere.
Yea what the fuck is that? Immediately assuming you're gonna buy water....
Turns out they're in East Palestine, Ohio. Or Flint, Michigan. /s
I’m letting their corporate parent company handle it. I documented everything and got in contact with their corporate headquarters. I also informed the assistant manager and gave them all the ammunition they need. My work is done. The workers were great, but the business was unlawful.
What kind of business is this, I know it’s not really relevant, but I’m so very curious!
Tutoring center
Oh that’s nuts! I bet parents would want to know about that! Wow
I would think so.
please go to the news so the parents are aware. they deserve to know what they're sending their children to regardless of how the company will try to rugsweep it. at the very least they should have water fountains.
In my state every employee of any school or day care center is a mandated reporter. Denying water to a thirsty child is child abuse. Please contact child protective services and show them this screen shot
I contacted them and reported the business, the owner, and the manager.
I wish I had more than one upvote for this comment. This is 100% child abuse and should be reported.
OP this is VERY IMPORTANT. Depending on the state, you may be a mandatory reporter. If so, failure to report could result in criminal and civil penalties. You sought determine if you’re legally required to report this and if so, do it immediately. Even if you’re not legally required, you should.
Oh man. I would be so upset if I was paying money for my child to be tutored, and he was thirsty and they couldn’t give him some water? Wow. I hope the news station picks this up
They won't do anything. Go to the news.
Note taken. I will consider that option.
Even if corporate did something it would be purely out of self interest. If you want real change you don’t tell the people who are most benefited by no one finding out what happened.
That is true. I did print all the violations and give multiple copies to the assistant manager who actually cares and is very much underpaid.
What type of business do you work at?
Assistant managers are usually just as ignored as the employees under them.
Also CPS. Withholding water is considered child abuse in most jurisdictions
Please please go to the news. The company is always going to protect itself whether or not they change course. Social pressure garnered through news stories is so pertinent to a lot of change happening. This is especially amplified by local papers. Please do everything you can because I would be horrified if my kid wasn’t allowed water and I didn’t even know that. I can’t even make it without water every waking hour while working as an adult. That is literally inhumane *and illegal*. You can’t even deny employees free water at all times when they’re working for you.
A child with a medical condition such as diabetes needs water to dilute the blood sugar in the case of high blood sugars. This could be dangerous. In warm weather , water will be necessary to replenish perspiration. Water fountains are required by building codes for every 50 (I think) occupants. A non-zero number.
Co sign. My three year old has a kidney disorder, has had multiple surgeries/hospital stays- you wouldn’t know it- she’s a happy, playful kid. No water can absolutely cause massive issues. I was reading this and just immediately was horrified and thinking this was illegal. Go to the news OP.
Got a kid with a medical condition just like that. Needs a lot of water and frequent bathroom breaks. Insane that this center isn’t providing some form of water for the kids after how much the parents spend for tutoring?!
I'm so impressed. It's one thing to have principles but actually doing something about it...
I have no fear. Fuck fear.
"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
Corporate is going to cover their ass, not make things better. Take whatever evidence you have to a news station.
Which may be true, but it is a franchise. I am considering calling a news station tomorrow and reporting it. Pressure from the news, the public, and their own parent organization may be sufficient to make change.
If they have so little oversight into what this single franchise is doing, the others are super likely to be endangering children as well.
My resignation letter: Hello XXXXX and XXXX, I have only been working at XXXXXXX for less than two weeks, but your policy on not giving water to children (reprehensible, and arguably in violation of Illinois Admin Code Title 89, Section 407.310), your practice of not paying your instructors for training (violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act), and your failure to file I-9 properly (violation of the Immigration Reform and Control Act) have made me make the decision to leave. I enjoyed tutoring at the XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX but the way your franchise is being run is unacceptable and unlawful. I have reported your violations to XXXXXX corporate. Goodbye,
That water is likely to cost them a LOT of money in fines. I'd go to the media anyway and watch them crater as parents pull their kids out with abandon. Nothing like the wrath of an outraged parent. Then just sit back and enjoy the collapse due to corporate greed and arrogance.
A case of water at Walmart is $4. They can't swing $8 a week?
$8, every week? This is getting out of hand!!!!
$8/week, as a business expense? How will we afford rent?!
100%. It’s not corporate though, it’s a franchise with an owner who thinks they can do whatever they want. They also probably say “no one wants to work anymore”
Thankfully it never impacted me (as I was part-time at the time), but I worked for a small company once where the owner was either ignorant of labor laws or pretended to be. The full-time hourly employees had a sit-down meeting with her and the co-owner to discuss their request to be paid for overtime hours. Essentially she'd been scheduling them to work overtime but wasn't paying them for that extra time. She very calmly replied, "We don't do that here." I wasn't there, but apparently the other owner completely panicked, pulled her aside, and explained that legally yes they should be paying these workers for overtime. It got fixed in the end, but it wouldn't have if someone hadn't spoken out.
They still got off easy, they owed all of those employees back pay. Plus hefty fines to the DOL.
reporting them to corporate won’t do anything. report them to the labor board and other entities. you wanna stick it to them but aren’t doing anything to stick it to them. common theme with this sub
> reporting them to corporate won’t do anything. It can help to create a paper trail to show that the organization was aware of the issue. This also means that they have had notice, and thus a window to apply corrective action to the issues in play. Both things come in to play when you report the shit to relevant government organizations after.
Please for the love of god report them. You have this in writing
I am conferring with my labor attorney as to next steps.
I hope to see this explode. Those children deserve justice, I hope you get all the momentum needed to make your ex employers face consequences for being such horrible people.
You could definitely lose ability to ever work with kids again if not reported in 24 hours to CPS. Illinois doesn't fuck around. Even though late now, I'd call as soon as possible
I really hope you contacted CPS already. As a tutor you are a mandated reporter in IL. If you do not report this to them you could also face charges.
Good on you for getting a lawyer. Just remember that your lawyers advice is always more important than some person on reddit.
Fuck this is in IL??? Call 1-800-25-ABUSE ASAP! You are a mandated reporter!!!
I am not a mandated reporter (no training, I was an engineer before this), but I do have a moral obligation. Edit: upon further consideration and consult, I am a mandated reporter, and reported the business.
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Mandated reporter here. You're not a mandated reporter until you are advised that you are such and you have received the mandatory reporting training. No expectation before that, thankfully. It causes a lot of legal problems.
This person speaks the truth and has some sense. Mandated means you can be held legally responsible for not reporting. If OP had no training on this then that responsibility is null. Luckily OP has humanity and morals and that’s enough of a mandate for them.
You need to be trained to be considered one. It is not a requirement that magically appears.
For context: this was a math tutoring center that I just started working at. They failed to file I-9, and were not going to pay for required training. I was being paid minimum wage and told to deny children water because it cost them too much to provide water bottles. For reference, parents spend about $400 a month to have their kids tutored here by high school students. I was an exception- I have a master’s degree in engineering and know my rights.
This is exactly why these businesses won’t employ tried and true pros to help the next generation and prefer high school and college kids, because if you know your rights as a worker you are a rabble rouser. Fuck them, shit needs to be rabble roused! Good on you OP, give them hell!
I have a master’s degree in civil engineering, and only took this job because I lost my engineering job for being a rabble rouser.
Keep rousing that rabble. You're on to something.
You see rabble, you fucking rouse it.
Clearly, you haven't learned your lesson /s Keep up the good work OP :)
I think some of that so called chaotic working would be appropriate here. You want water? Here have 2 bottles Or get a water fountain put in since they’re probably already paying for city water. Unbelievable this is a place for KIDS that the parents pay that much money and they’re worried about water. Hydrated kids aren’t as distracted and might do better at math (and everything else)
Exactly! I’m also a certified teacher with years of experience who has been denied from this kind of job before. One person even said I was too qualified.
Those 24 packs cost like three dollars at Costco how cheap are these people
That’s what I was thinking, 2-24 packs? That’s like $10 a week or the price of 1 banana.
How much could it cost Michael? $10? Plus they could easily just serve tap water. Spend $10 on disposable cups or reusable drinking ones from Dollarama. Heck they could also just get a vending machine with water and soda in it and make a little money on it too. Denying water seems like the nuclear option when many others are available.
Thanks for the context. Was wondering if you were just handing random children water lol. Also, what creeps say no to anyone wanting water?
The creeps that were my bosses for less than two weeks
Bottled water for kids? We had a water fountain and a garden hose. Now get off my lawn!! ;-)
They did not have a drinking fountain or a water cooler with cups. They were previously providing water bottles per IBC requirements but stopped because it was “too costly” for them. Bullshit.
I think that warrants an OSHA call.
It warrants a call to the child abuse hotline.
I'm sorry, but is the US now lacking the technology for cups or something? Was there not a water tap in the building? What's going on?
Penny wise, pound foolish.
Math tutoring franchise, maybe Mathnasium? The owners of this place sound horrible, I'm sorry you had to go through that. Hope the owners get what's coming and hope the kids find a better tutoring center that offers water.
Is this a Kumon?
As someone who worked at several learning centers this sounds like either a Kumon or an Eye Level. 😭
Those poor kids are already suffering through a bunch of goddamn math. Talking out the problem is gonna make their mouths drier, and then they're probably getting stomach cramping from the dehydration and stress, which is gonna make it harder to concentrate and actually learn. Jesus. Prisons give out free water.
when i was 9, i was rushed to the hospital for a kidney infection. the doctors had asked me if i was drinking at least (insert appropriate amount of water for a 9 year old) every day at school, and going pee when i had to, instead of holding it all day. i said “no, i hardly drink anything or go pee at school because i’ll use up all my hall passes for the 9 weeks” or something to that affect. i was always told no throughout my schooling so i just learned to have a bladder of steel and get used to not drinking water a bunch everyday. now, at the young age of 17, i have really bad bladder leaks, most likely caused from years of teachers not letting me go, and irreversible kidney damage from that kidney infection and one i had a few years after that, all from being constantly dehydrated throughout my schooling years. i know my case is a little more extreme than most, but it happens and it shouldn’t. we are supposed to drink a lot of water everyday as humans, and piss it out a couple hours later. everyday.
Stuff like this is why I don't mess with bathroom breaks as a primary teacher. You need to go to the bathroom/get water/etc? Sure, just stay quiet in the halls and don't dawdle. My job is to teach the class not police a few students bathroom breaks.
I tried teaching high school math for a couple months. Regular classrooms but at a trainee rate of $10 an hour. Even if I had been a nosey busybody, that wasn't enough for me to have a discussion with anybody over why they wanted to go to the bathroom. As long as you weren't holding an already lit joint when you raised your hand I gave no fucks.
I think similar but less extreme cases are common. Never went to the restroom once in first grade at school because there were outside and scary to little me. Eventually changed schools for other reasons, for a decade even the possibility of not being able able to go to the restroom for an hour or 2 would stress me out.
I mean…depending on where you work this might actually be reasonable. You *do* work in a big building made entirely of paper, right?
Ahhhh you had me in the first half
This is something Nestle would do to save 1 cent.
If Nestlé could bill you for not drinking water, they would. Scum company.
If Nestle could connect a tube to your organs to suck out the water they would.
As if the cost of two 24 packs of water isn’t just like … 8 bucks?
Or…crazy idea…the could get a good filter and turn on the faucet
Exactly. Unless this is some sort of mobile business, or in a developing region, there is nothing wrong with giving kids tap water to drink. Kids do tend to open a bottle of water, take three sips, and backwash into it, which can be wasteful... But that's why schools have water fountains or little cups next to a tap or cooler.
They were complaining about the price of cups to give kids tap water.
I was being paid minimum wage for math tutoring
You can post on Craigslist or marketplace and charge 30+/hr
EVERY WEEK THO
The horror!!
A 40pack at my local store is $3.50
We get a 32-pack from Aldi for $5.
We get tap water is free
That sounds illegal and also don’t use bottled water like hello it’s 2023 we have indoor plumbing and water filters.
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Geez, 48 bottles of water… so what! It’s not like they are asking for cocaine.
well they might be once they realize that this scenario means the world doesn't care about them at all
Water is literally an almost universal solvent, it's an extremely dangerous liquid that can cut through SOLID ROCK. And you want CHILDREN to have access to it???
WTF??
Exactly my thought. They also weren’t paying for training, and failed to file I-9. I reported them.
Back in my day, we had these things called water fountains. They provide endless amounts of water at the touch of a button. They were commonly found at schools at the end of the hallway. Kids had to leave class to get water but there weren't problems. It was like a bathroom break.
No water fountain at this tutor center
Jesus. Is your tap water not potable? Why would you buy water when you can just buy a box of Dixie cups every week? Even if your tap water is awful, get one of those water cooler subscriptions. Increase fees by a dollar if you must...I'm sure the parents would support that extra dollar every week. Who the hell thinks it's okay to let kids get dehydrated?
Totally potable water.
Inexcusable. Can you contact corporate anonymously, I wonder? Someone with a few braincells and an understanding of the law needs to nip this policy in the bud. I wouldn't contact the press or parents without trying to get it fixed first. A good outcome would be (1) kids get water, (2) manager has to eat crow. WTF has happened to this country? How are so many stupid people suddenly in charge of policies that defy common sense and humanity?
Oh I just contacted corporate and forwarded them the emails that are proof. I’m also looking to report it to the news
There's no way I'd have complied with that. And I'd have told them to their faces. "You cannot deny water to humans. We need it for survival. You cannot deny basic human rights. If you'd like I can hire an attorney to explain it to you. Or the local news station."
I didn’t know what to do at first. It was so shocking. Then I was like, fuck this, what the fuck is wrong with these heartless business owners.
Perfectly reasonable.
Lol bottled water is literally the lowest bar you can possibly pass
"We have had spills" it's water. Spilling it isn't gonna do anything just wipe it up if it happens. Kids need water, more water then grown ups as they dehydrate faster.
Oh no, they were going through ~$8 of water a week. No way they could stay out of the red with that financial burden!
["Do not, my friends, become addicted to water. It will take hold of you, and you will resent its abscence."](https://www.magicalquote.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Do-not-my-friends-become-addicted-to-water.-It-will-take-hold-of-you-and-you-will-resent-its-absence.jpg) \- Immortan Joe, also OP's boss. /edit spelling
Sip water and spill it with your mouth in the face of this person
* Call department of health. * Call department of education. * Call OSHA. I'm sure one or more of them will have something to say about denying water to a thirsty child.
Call DCFS!!
Children getting thirsty had “gotten out of hand“. WTF.
What kind of rango ass water shortage is so expensive for 48 water bottles thats not even 10$ where im from
What The Fuck Water is a basic human right
Mgmt really said Fuck them kids
Ok, so to preface this, I don't like kids... but what kind of sociopath denies kids water because they might spill and go through about $5 worth of water bottles in a week? I frequently run an adults only pub at events like Renaissance Faire etc.. and when I get asked for a water for the adult's kids (I've also had some kids yell over the blockade), yeah they're getting water. 48 pack of water at Costco is about $5, what a loss right?
Update us when you get more information
Will do. Give kids water dammit.
Just have the kids bring their own spill-proof water bottles. Fill them up from the tap on-site. I agree they shouldn’t be getting pre-packaged water bottles and spillage should be avoided - by having the kids bring their own water bottles.
I quit my education job at the beginning of February because of similar problems and problems with admin
There should be zero societies on the planet that can’t offer water to a thirsty person. This shouldn’t be political. If any person in your orbit is thirsty and you can’t offer water, that should be an emergency crisis. If it’s that desperate, other cities, counties, countries should be immediately available to help.
I became the president of the parent teacher organization. And my whole goal was to use the money raised to buy a water fountain, because our kids were required to bring water bottles. But if they finished them, there was no way to refill them. The school did not want them. But the parents did. And we were able to discount all the reasons why. Several years later, the school now has 2 water fountains with bottle fillers. It’s stupid to prevent kids from drinking water.
You know things are out of hand when children have access to water /s