To just p*ss on the floor next time?

[peeingforbritain]

Obviously I would never do that intentionally, however...

Im 7 months pregnant and was out shopping on Saturday, and I had been the loo before I left, and when I arrived at the shopping centre.

I was in Superdrug and I literally just had to go, so I politely asked the security guard and explained I'm pregnant (even though it's very obvious) and she outright said no. That there are toilets in Asda, which is at least a 5 minute walk (10 minute waddle) away.

Let's just say it didn't end too great for me and I was mortified

Surely there's some sort of law for pregnant women to use staff toilets when shopping?

You don't know anything about their toilet though. Where I work, the staff toilets are through the stock room, down some very steep stairs and then sometimes you have to move through stacks of boxes. If someone is working in the stock room then there could be stuff spread all over the floor and cages etc being moved around.

I would have been worried at a visibly pregnant woman moving through any of that.

Public aren't insured to go back of house.

OP there isn't actually.

There are people with disabilities which give them bladder problems who have to have access to toilets. Various charities give them a card to show to shop/pub/cafe/restaurant which have public toilets which they haven't purchased anything from so they can use their toilets.

Buy some of those extra absorbent adult incontinence pants

Agreeing with pp, the public are not insured to use staff toilets. Sorry, YABU.

We used to get this when I worked in a shop and had to say no. The staff toilet was at the end of a long corridor which half the time you had to go down sideways due to the piles of stock and empty boxes. There was no sanitary bin and the roof leaked when it rained. The corridor was also where we had to keep our bags and coats so we'd be opening ourselves up to theft of our personal belongings if we let people in there, as well as probably being sued on health and safety grounds.

So what happens to all the staff that are pregnant and need to use those same toilets?

The company insurance will cover employees, you aren't an employee therefore you aren't covered in an employee only area.

So what happens to all the staff that are pregnant and need to use those same toilets?

Presumably staff are covered by insurance to be there but customers wouldn't be?

peeing If they have pregnant staff (which isn't a given) they would be insured because they are employed by the company. You, as a member of the public are not. It's called health and safety.

YABU, the public aren't insured in most stores to use the bathroom, I used to have to deny the use of our staff toilets quite a bit to people especially pregnant women when I was working in retail. But you should get those incontinence pads in future if you know your going somewhere where toilets aren't readily available (I had to wear them in my last trimester as I didn't want to be caught out!)

The staff are insured by the employer. You, as a member of the public, are not. Next time go into the nearest cafe/restaurant as they will have a public toilet (although expect to have to buy something out of courtesy).

There will have been a risk assessment done and mitigation put in place if there was an issue.
Unfortunately you’re being unreasonable to be upset at the people who are simply doing their job. Public are not allowed to enter back area of shops.

Peeing, They are staff and therefore insured. They will not have public liability insurance.

This comes up again and again and the answer is always the same - no way.

Shops are only insured for STAFF to be in STAFF areas. That includes the back shop, loos, office areas, staffrooms. If they let someone in and they tripped, or some stock fell on them, they could sue the pants off the business and probably would. Money is often counted in the offices of smaller shops, valuable items on shelves.

I'm sure OP is honest and genuine and wouldn't dream of suing / stealing but not everyone is and rather than putting staff in the awkward position of having to make a judgement call the answer has to be no, always.

I get asked at least once a shift when volunteering in a charity shop if a pregnant woman / young child / elderly person can use the staff loo. I am always polite and direct them to the nearest public loos but there seems to be a growing sense of entitlement to use private loos in shops or other businesses.

Thanks everyone, I was genuinely curious, not trying to be completely unreasonable.

As for @Jackandrose no need to be a dick.

We used to have this frequently when I worked at a shop...the management wouldn't let us take members of the public to our private toilets as there was stock, lockers and moving equipment and insurance wouldn't cover use by the public. If we had let people, we would have had disciplinary action by the company with the potential to lose our jobs. The amount of shit we got from the public for this -like we were just being selfish. We did fully sympathise, but when you can't you can't!

It's really unfortunate what has happened to you and obviously the guard could have been kinder but shops are no more obliged to offer you a toilet than you are to let a stranger into your house and use your loo. As a parent, you're going to find all sorts of obstacles like a lack of baby changing facilities and later on, potty training. It's not ideal but the best you can do is to be prepared and pop a sanitary pad in next time you're away from the loos.

This is handy to know as the MS Society give you a little card which states that I have MS I need the toilet urgently and it’s printed in a few different languages. I’ve never used it as luckily don’t have that problem right now but now I know that shops can’t help (rather than won’t) I think I’ll chuck it in the bin to save awkwardness

@Jackandrose be nice, it is a difficult time when you're literally carrying a baby all day, everyday in the heat. A little compassion makes the world a kinder place.

When I was in my late second trimester and in an (independent if relevant) shop, they let me use their loos. It does and can happen. The legalities are a different matter.

So YANBU for asking, but you would be for insisting on some sort of entitlement or right.

Jackandrose you sound nice.

down some very steep stairs and then sometimes you have to move through stacks of boxes

That would be a violation of workplace safety. Fact.

They're not insured so sorry but YABU.

The way I would imagine the "toilet cards" would work is in cafes and other places who do have public loos, but say they are for customers only. So it would mean you could use the loo without having to make a purchase.

It wouldn't overcome the issues in smaller businesses with no public loos - you still wouldn't be able to use the staff loo (if there is one).