Three-minute toilet breaks, workers told

Workers at a government call centre in Sydney were ordered to observe a three-minute time limit when using the toilet and keep diary entries of how long they spent in the bathroom, the Daily Telegraph reported today.

Managers at Medicare Australia in Parramatta were even following staff into bathrooms to hurry them along, it was claimed in the article.

Staff at the branch were upset following the introduction of the policy, claiming it unfairly targeted pregnant women and older employees, the newspaper reported.

Managers ordered all staff to fill out the length of toilet breaks in a "compliance diary".

Staff said they were expected to spend 92 per cent of their time on the phone. Those who failed to maintain this level of activity were faced with counselling and disciplinary action.

The draconian productivity push has now been discontinued, management told the Telegraph.

* Medicare Australia is an government agency set up to "assist in improving health outcomes for Australians". Its main function is to administer the country's universal health care system, Medicare.