Non binary changing rooms???

The law says changing rooms are provided on the basis of sex, because you'll be undressed and its reasonable to not expect a member of the opposite sex to be in there.

''The Equality Act 2010 allows service providers to operate single-sex and separate-sex services – such as toilets, domestic abuse refuges, changing rooms – when they have a good reason to do so (for example, only one sex needs to use the service or space) and the limited provision is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.''

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/call-for-input-incorrect-guidance-on-single-sex-spaces-and-gender-self-identification

'I'm being very considerate of this person's feelings, which is why I'm telling you about this and not ignoring the issue.' Throw it back to the manager as it's way out of your remit. Encourage it to be pushed all the way around relevant departments, up chains of command, all in the name of being 'considerate'. Cause a headache for many, many people.

Out of interest, are they the only non binary member of staff? Are they basically saying they want a changing room all to themselves?

What are the odds they'll find a storage cupboard somewhere and call that the non binary changing room. Tempting.

Are "they" a biological male or female?

How do they present their non-binary-ness? Is it obvious by looking at them?

I'm asking as I really struggle to get my head around NB!

Actually this is better - two laminated signs!

I’d throw these at your manager and engage your health and safety team/ facilities management team. https://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/toilets.htm

Places like Primark have “female” and “any gender”. Would that work?

Two changing rooms, one designated as being for men and male non-binary, the other for women and female non-binary. I think it would work well.

I think you need to ask your manager what the budget is.

If it is any more than the price of laminating a new sign for the gents that says 'Gents and Non Binary' then I'm not really sure what else you can do. Other than get extortionate quotes for new facilities.

How does she know that none of the other staff are non-binary? Is she expecting everyone to out themselves? That’s not very kind and inclusive, is it?

(Hypothetically obviously, because the first rule of gender woo is tell everyone repeatedly about your gender woo)

I’d put new labels on the doors saying ‘female and AFAB non binary’ and ‘Male and AMAB non binary’ and declare them to be safe spaces, much as the government has declared Rwanda a safe country.

Does your manager have an office? If so, perhaps she could give it up as the new non-binary changing room. Some blinds, sign on the door, job done.

Can you draw attention to the fact that all people are likely to be less safe in future in changing rooms and toilets. This is directly due to lobbying on gender neutral toilets for a government toilet consultation with has led to current policy goals of much more privacy and mixed sex facilities. The consultation for all non-home dwelling toilets is being reviewed at the moment.

The more privacy you have in public spaces, particularly in mixed sex spaces, the more problems there are when things go wrong.

Most sexual assaults that are reported, happen in mixed sex spaces.
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women/sexual-assault-unisex-changing-rooms-sunday-times-women-risk-a8519086.html

When mixed sex spaces have private areas, it leads to serious crimes like rape occurring. I don’t really want to highlight individual cases but at least 1 person gets raped inside a British school per school day (and this was before the gender neutral toilets became fashionable). https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-34138287

The example mentioned above was a school storeroom but you can guess what’s happening now in schools

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/drug-dealing-drinking-dirt-problems-28517175

The major design fault is as soon as you have mixed sex toilets, the design has to be fully enclosed. Unfortunately if you googled disabled toilets and rape, you will find so many examples where able bodied and disabled people are either pushed or followed in and raped in toilets. This includes very public areas like the busiest stations and shopping centres.

The other time all people are most vulnerable is when they feel sick because people head to the toilet. If there are no door gaps at the bottom then there’s no way of knowing if the occupant has collapsed. If there’s no way of getting over the door and the door opens inwards with a body pushed against it, there’s no way of rescuing the person without a lot of time and equipment. This is the situation that will occur more if the government policy goals on toilet design are brought in.

The very action of going to the toilet causes more cardiac arrests etc due to the strain.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3590314/

As well as heart attacks, there are situations such as strokes, seizures (drink spiking, drug taking, epilepsy, high temperature illness, brain injury), asthma attacks and hypos where it is really important you get to the occupant quickly. All of us need to be accessible at our most vulnerable for safeguarding. Smoke inhalation would be another problem in a building evacuation, for the extra time it takes for the rescuer to assess who is in a locked toilet too. A lot of fires start in toilets (people setting fire to loo rolls).

There is also the fact they may feel safer if they know if there is someone is outside their changing room or toilet cubicle by peering under the gap from inside the toilet. It is sometimes scary if you hear footsteps if you are on your own in a block but can’t see things so don’t know who you are opening the door to.

If this person values good hygiene it may be useful to note that the gaps are there for a mop to go under and disinfectant to be poured on the floor as it’s impossible to clean the cubicles as well otherwise. You get yucky bits on the walls and the full height door is more likely to warp and get jammed. Also you are more likely to breathe in the (poo particles in a toilet) germs of the last person in an enclosed space. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8523564/

Spell out what it actually means and say single sex facilities (with their door gaps) are better for everyone to stay safe.

And if they mention spying with phones, then the fact that gender neutral facilities are mixed sexed, brings up the problems that cubicles can be set-up beforehand, without detection.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/25/gang-hid-changing-rooms-pools-film-young-women-undressing/

I hope the government see sense. They have the opportunity to prevent a lot of assaults, serious injury and deaths.

Maybe this is where OP says that the only available space is not the proverbial broom cupboard but a room big enough to accommodate communal changing. And she's so glad Mx Enby has brought it up because Dave from Accounts has been asking too. Let Mx Enby find the words to ask whether or not Dave is a bloke of the old-fashioned kind.

for those who are saying that your colleague is happy to change with both sexes but not either this is not the case. They want somewhere for people who only identify as non-binary.

That is people of both sexes

We need to be careful not to be so open minded that our common sense falls out.

Thank you for that quote. I haven't heard it before, but will now be using it. A lot. 😀

Disabled changing rooms are for disabled people who need them, and not for those who don't want to use other facilities.

There is a valid discussion to be had about the fact that those of us who need to use disabled facilities are usually forced to use mixed sex facilities. "Rebranding" disabled facilities (1) further obscures the problem of disabled people being forced to use mixed sex facilities, and (2) makes it harder for people who need to use facilities reserved for those who are disabled as they are being repurposed for non-disabled people who don't want to use the facilities that have been provided for them.

A plea to anyone making this sort of decision: please keep disabled facilities for disabled people. Disabled staff's working lives are difficult enough as it is.

They'll be telling you next that they don't 'feel' that there is enough money in sort pay, and will your manager ask you to sue that out too, or will it be a case of ' it's a hard no from us'.

Seriously, you do need to deal with the feelings of lack of safety, why these have arisen, what can be done to accommodate/mitigate these, address and objectively threatening behaviour, make modifications to existing facilities that may support privacy and dignity? Also are there other adjustments that could be made, e.g. could this person come into work a little earlier to use the correct-sex changing room when it's quieter.

We need to be careful not to be so open minded that our common sense falls out.

Bloody hell

We have mixed /multiple 🙄gender, single sex changing rooms available to accommodate everyone.

Assuming NB is female are they maybe getting ready to announce they're actually a bloke & therefore know they want a safe place away from the rest of the blokes when they do 🤔

I just can't with this shit, you poor thing 🍰🍫💐

I would be asking the manager in good faith how they expect you to “sort” this. You can’t just magic up some “safe” non binary space out of thin air. I would liaise with HR. It’s not a one person situation it needs a policy and direction, even if the direction ultimately is not to offer anything further than the current set up. All of this seems very 2015 to me.

Do you have a separate disabled changing room?

is this something that can be rebranded to accommodate more people?

for those who are saying that your colleague is happy to change with both sexes but not either this is not the case. They want somewhere for people who only identify as non-binary.

explain that a purely non binary changing room is not feasible and be curious about the fears. You may be able to alleviate some of them.

What has happened to make them feel unsafe? Could this be dealt with under standard behaviours and values guidance?

There is no money for a separate changing room. Changing rooms are sex based. End of conversation

Good point. The broom cupboards were converted into shared offices long ago and Sharon and Tracy have to coordinate getting to and from their desks because it's so tiny.

Tell them to get changed in their non binary car

What would the risk assessment look like for a mixed sex non binary changing room?

Sorry, changing rooms.

I imagine this person is angling for all the toilets to be mixed sex.