Mumsnet Talk

We have received an email today telling us that there will be no water in our place of work between 10am and 4pm on Wednesday.

We have been advise to fill bottles and jugs before hand for drinking. Not sure how we are supposed to handle hand washing but we do have some of that antibacterial gel...
However when we need to go to the bathroom, we have been advised that we need to walk to the nearest shopping centre - which is five minutes walk away. It doesn't sound like a lot, I know, but if you are suddenly bursting for a wee...or it's raining again...!

Essentially every bathroom break is going to take fifteen minutes - five to walk down, five to walk back, queuing time and hand washing etc...
Also we are all customer facing so we cannot just 'pop out' for fifteen minutes whenever we fancy it!

AIBU to think that my employers could have arranged a portaloo for the day?
WIBU to return from every bathroom break with shopping bags/takeout coffee cups etc?!

How many staff are there? If they are giving you notice I think you need to simply accept you have a loo 5 minutes away for 1 day of your working life. If you are pregnant or have a medical condition that requires v accessible loo,you need to consult hr.

How many times in a day do you go to the loo? Can you not just nip out at lunchtime or something? Five mins walk is hardly a long way. How many staff are there? Can't you cover for each other if one of you needs a loo break?

And surely as an adult you won't suddenly be bursting for a wee? Unless there are medical conditions involved, of course.

Is this for ONE day or every Wednesday?? you get to have a paid wander off to the shopping centre - seriously not a big deal!!

I think its just for one day and you will all be perfectly fine. Presumably you will wash your hands at the shopping centre, but why not take some wet ones or baby wipes with you if you want to do your hands more often than that. Personally I would rather walk 5 minutes to the shopping centre than use a portaloo!

Any excuse for shopping gets my vote

I'm quite surprised at the responses you've got - a well hydrated person goes for a pee every hour - that's a lot of hassle for a pee. Maybe you will have to not drink during the day - most people would get a headache with no water though.

YANBU. I think 6 hours with no access to water is excessive.

If they know in advance they should have either provided portaloos or enabled you to work flexibly.

Every hour? How do you get anything done?

I would hate having to explain my medical condition to people... I need access to hot water, no I'm not going to tell you why! it's not on...

Not acceptable at all IME. They have a duty under HSE rules to provide water, toilets and handwashing facilities. I would expect a day off and to make the time up when they can provide a safe working environment TBH.

What if everyone goes down with gastroenteritis? How are you supposed to wash your hands before you eat lunch?HSE info

I pee about once an hour. I have no medical condition I just have a small
Bladder. This would be a major inconvenience - more for the company though as it is them losing staff for 15 minutes a tume

Wee every hour?
There's something wrong with an adult bladder that needs to wee that much.
In an 8 hour working day, you should wee twice maybe three times.

Do you know what? Some people work on building sites or on farms where they don't have access to hot water every minute..... 5 mins walk is surely within the bounds of reasonableness? Some places - eg army bases, aircraft hangars etc, are already more than five mins walk from a loo.....

There are about 35 of us that will be affected... I know it's not the worlds worst problem but I'd have thought for time management issues it would have been worth their while investing in a portaloo for the day. We have not been told we can use the loos in the building next door (also public ) so I'm guessing its the whole street that is affected. We could have popped a couple of portaloo in the car park no problem!

I think I'm just paranoid about being caught short... Doesn't help that it's 'that' week so I am popping to the loo a bit more frequently than normal. (Tmi time... Does anyone else find they need to poo more when having your period?)

I can also picture the cringe scene of being stood in a queue with all my colleagues, bosses etc... All making painful polite conversation!

I guess I'm just so used to being able to nip out to the office, wee and dash back, maybe I'm just conditioned to peeing little and often...

Really? I have always weed lots. Never thought about it.

I can go longer if I need to but I don't think it's healthy.

One day is not the end of the world.

My dad worked on a farm all his life. Many bodily functions outside. Hot water doesn't make any difference anyway. Is that true?

Oh I'd hate that
Going twice in an 8 hour shift means your not drinking enough water
I always let the grocery delivery guys use my loo

I think it is wrong.The employers should have made arrangements for a portaloo.
Is it legal? What about health and safety?
As regards peoples bladders,bladders vary in size,and capacity. You never know what problems people may suffer from, ie needing the loo very frequently.
And don't forget some people may be taking medication, diuretics for example.

Yes, OP! According to Dr Jensen it's because of the increased blood supply in your abdomen when you're on your period. I think it's one of those things most women notice but decide not to bring up in polite company, so think it's just them. Like how your wee smells like sugar puffs if you have a bowl for brekkie.

I'd arrange a wee rota so you can go for a walk with your mates while on works time. They'll order a portaloo for next time when they realise they've been paying you to window shop.

Interesting! Thank you... I had some vague idea in my head it was to do with muscles contracting to 'work everything out'

Sounds like a planned shut down of the valve. If so it'll only be off for one or two hours but they have to be programed in for 6. You'll probably be fine.

I have been told it is good to be able to hold your wee in - by a physio, she said its good for your pelvic floor strength

It's only a six hour period though. You could nip to the loo at lunchtime. I can't imagine you'll need that many more trips, will you?