Not allowing heavily pregnant woman to use a loo

If you need to keep your job you're being reasonable in following procedures and not putting your employment at risk.

was there a member of staff available to do it?

So is the OP going to find a new job for the shop assistant if she is sacked in her quest to provide 'justice'?

I mean she's spent enough time posting on this thread though? Could easily have messaged them in that time?

Her issue seems to be with the company not being aligned to its corporate values. It isn't unreasonable to suggest that she raises this with the CEO if she feels strongly about it.

Do you not know that it is unjust to allow a pregnant woman to piss herself involuntarily at the door of your shop? Do you not know that justice also known as humane treatment is not bounded by rules?

😂 Perhaps because she is heavily pregnant, already has children to care for and a million other things to do. But, yes, unless she makes a formal complaint, how dare she say anything about this incident ever to anyone - least of all mumsnet.

That's great, but surely you can see that as a manager you were in a much better position to use "basic human decency" than a young probably minimum wage shop assistant?

I think it’s a case here of planning better, getting her DH to let her use the car and don’t blame Co-Op.

I have stress in continence too and usually use thicker panty liners but someone got me the Allways Incontinence pads by mistake rather than the usual ones and I hate to say it but they’re great. I also get the common “want to go when I’m near home” which is absolutely a pita!

I hate to say it but if I was the Co-Op member of staff asked I’d have to say no as it’s more than my minimum pay job and isn’t worth it on these grounds. Also if another customer saw you being allowed to use toilets (or overheard convo) there could be a precedent set for use of staff toilets.

Of course staff should be free to do what is right and humane. What a passive lot you are! See an injustice? Challenge an injustice!

But it's not an 'injustice'. It's (probably) company policy and the staff member could be sacked if she were found out to have let an unauthorised person use the toilets and thereby go against insurance policies.

Would you have risked your job in similar circumstances? And where do you draw the line? Many people have 'reasonable' reasons to use the toilet. Are you going to let them all use it to right an 'injustice'? And who's going to pay to clean up the toilets after strangers use them?

This is one of those threads that really is the worst of mumsnet. A pregnant mum describing an incredibly vulnerable moment and expressing shock at not being allowed to use a shop toilet. Then a pile on telling her she's unreasonable, entitled and should plan better! One would assume that these posters have never been pregnant but it's 'mums'net so that seems unlikely.

I was a bank manager and quite often took mums with little kids to the staff loos.
I waited outside the toilet door for them, they were very grateful. I could have made a false excuse if I could not be bothered, but instead used basic human decency

Yes I'm interested in that. I suspect she hasn't.

I sympathise as someone who when pregnant constantly either needed to pee or throw up , I once went to the loo pulled up my pants and immediately needed to go again . It's so hard to find a loo when they are all staff only, but agree it'll be a security/insurance issue . Bring back public toilets 🚻

So (again) have you contacted Co op to complain/ask for their response? Or was the purpose of the thread just to have a whinge?

Many years ago, when I was a student I worked in 2 Oxford Street stores. Neither had public toilets but it was an unwritten rule to let certain customers e.g. pregnant women and small children use the loo. Of course it was a hassle because you had to leave the sales floor to accompany them.

I imagine the real reason is nothing to do with ‘insurance’ and all to do with having pared staffing down to the bone.

Why are several posters going on about bladder control and Tena Lady? If I understand the OP’s posts correctly, this is irrelevant.

is it a large Co-OP though? My local Co-Op is really small, more of a corner shop size really. They wouldn't have room for toilets or anything.

Apparently Co-Op accepts "Can't wait" cards, so if you'd have had one of those presumably they would have let you?

Where I live all supermarkets are public toilets. It´s odd that a large store such as Coop doesn´t have at least one available to the public.
I would be challenging store policy. It´s crap.

So awful with the lack of public toilets. Our council made the two supermarkets put in toilets as part of their planning permission.

Yes! Thank you.

You said yourself how you could have planned better.

Don’t pick up milk on the way home, particularly if the baby has dropped.

There are lot of people, who suffer from incontinence, out shopping. Shops can’t keep bending rules. As others have suggested, perhaps use incontinence pads for the last few weeks.

There should be more public loos though.