Aibu to expect my office to have a sanitary bin

[popalop]

I’ve never worked anywhere that hasn’t had one, aibu to expect one? My whole office is women. I only started recently and obviously came a bit stuck recently. I didn’t notice when I started. I’m a bit embarrassed tbh about the whole situation.

Are people really embarrassed by periods still?

We need to be teaching our children (male and female) about normal bodily functions from early - my 5yo son already knows the basics.

Even as a teenager I’d have been able to say to a manager ‘Mr X, there aren’t any sanitary bins in the toilets - please can we get some some? Would you like me to look into it?’

My mum made it entirely normal, didn’t hide it and I’m the same and it’s made life much easier as I’m one of the unlucky women who have dreadful periods and have had to explain to employers at various points during my life.

It may be something they have not thought about. Here, we have toilets on different floors. There was a bin on one floor but not the other, as the only people based there and really using it were male, post-menopausal women and me (but I was only birth control so was not getting periods). None of us needed one. When offices moved around and I came off bc I just asked for one to put in and it got sorted.

If there is only one woman of 'the right age' it could be she is on birth control, or there could be a medical reason she is not having periods, so the issue has not come up.

Just ask for one to go in. They have to provide one and they have probably just not thought about it.

I know this is not a solution and they should provide the correct bin for you.
But
Could you consider a nappy sack to put it in? Perhaps that would help you feel a little better about putting it in a bin?

You can get a pack of 300 nappy sacks in Tesco for about 30p. Could you leave these in the toilets for everyone to use.

Eliza

so after a 12 hour day at work, you want me to take 6 pads home (appx)? I'm now on birth control but that's what happens on day 1 and if I'm not.

I don't have DC. I've never objected to friends needing to dispose of their baby nappy bags here, but they always ask and I show them how to do it. I would never expect them to carry the bags home.

I didn't see your suggestion about OP being toilet monitor, that is insane.

I don't think we all need to switch to resuables. Obviously as I don't have DC, my impact on the environment is minimal, but for the record, I don't have a car, I don't travel by air, I'm not much of a consumer generally. I think there's a level that's reasonable for the environment, and using disposable sanpro at work seems very very reasonable.

Roomba "Those suggesting mooncups/washable pads - if your employer couldn't be bother to pay for a toilet in your workplace would you be saying 'swap to a compostable bucket with sawdust in. "

exactly. And you can use cloths instead of toilet roll but I wouldn't think that was acceptable in a workplace either!

OP how is the workplace generally? It boggles my mind they think is okay - though clearly some posters agree with them.

Who holds the petty cash in your office?
Buy a bundle of paper sanitary bags from Amazon, plus a pedal bin with lid and liners.
Pay using petty cash. £50 - job done. No conversation required.

Diana, that's terrible advice. First off, what if the OP has trouble reclaiming the petty cash? And why on earth should she do any legwork on this beyond raising the issue with management, whose actual –legal – responsibility it is?

And the award for worst advice ob the this thread goes to..... @DianaT1969

Just tell your boss that you need a sanitary bin. It's IWD19. You can bet your last pound that if men were having to dispose of blood soaked sanpro there'd be a proper bin.

dianna why on earth should the OP have to expend labour on this?! Not her monkey...

Someone already mentioned earlier but try Binny Bins binnybin.com

I work for a small company where probably only 4 women would need a sanitary bin, and 2 of them are part time. We never had a sanitary bin, just a normal limed bin and no one ever mentioned it. I was always either on a contraceptive which meant no periods, then pregnant so never really thought about it. When I came back to work I brought it up. These bins are a great solution. The whole thing is just put in a bin bag and disposed of when full. It lasts a few months, which sounds disgusting, but honestly, there is no smell or anything. A great solution, and avoids the expense of having to have a contract with a provider of sanitary bins which are not really used that often.

Can't believe that in 2019 some women on here are suggesting that OP needs to change her method of dealing with her period and/or carry all her soiled sanitary wear around with her all day and then take it home because the company she works at isn't complying with the law.

There should be a sanitary bin provided and it should be emptied in an appropriate way. It's the law.

Maybe you should just try walking on your hand during your periods OP in the hope that the menstrual fluid doesn't come out and inconvenience anyone.

My dad has his own company. He is obviously male. However he ensures that the ladies toilets at the office have the correct bin facilities, along with a box of bags sat on the back of the toilet in case they are needed. There is also a cupboard in each one with a basket of sanitary supplies for emergencies which new female staff members are quickly informed of when they start by another female. It has been like this since I first went to his offices in the 90s.

If he can work out how to make women feel comfortable and welcome like that, why on earth are we still having to fight for a fucking bin. Unacceptable.

Happy international women’s day to all the handmaidens on this thread!

Roffle No it is not. It is a legal requirement to have some way to dispose of sanitary towels. This can legally be in a bin in the toilet. And no a contractor does not legally have to empty it.

@Grace212 Washable pads are more absorbant and hold more than disposable pads so you might not need to change so often. I feel better protected by them than always.

Also, because they don't have chemicals and fragrances in, they can, for some people, over time reduce the severity of your period. Mine isn't as bad as it used to be. The chemicals in tampons are really not good at all and contribute to cramps etc.

Each to their own, but it's worth researching before instantly dismissing the idea. Especially as so much crap goes to landfill as it is. Anything we can do to reduce that is a positive.

Eliza how do you know I've never used them?

but at work and carry them home in my bag? No fucking way.

some of the comments on this thread are just astonishing.

This is the law.

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulation 1992 specifies that all companies are required to provide a suitable means for the disposal of sanitary dressings in ladies washrooms. ... This means that washroom cubicles should contain a sanitary unit or other form of bin suitable for the disposal of sanitary waste.

Sanitary bin contracts cost next to nothing. No excuse for a workplace, no matter how small, not to have one. Women should not be squirrelling dirty tampons and pads away in their bags. Come on!

We suddenly got them at work and it was during a time when the business was trying to cut costs. As I am the only female I said it wasn’t needed and to save their pennies. (I take the pill back to back so don’t do periods). I was told it’s to do with some legislation. It still pisses me off as the man comes once a month to take the empty one away and replace it with another empty one, such a waste of money. We have a normal bin in the loo anyway so if I did have periods I would put my stuff in there. It’s such nonsense.

Legally you do not need a contract, just a bin and someone to empty it. If you only have 1 female employee for example, it may be that there are very few towels/tampons ever being put in the bin. As long as there is a bin liner it is fine.
Sanitary bins are designed the way they are because they are not emptied every day. Most other bins in workplaces are emptied every day.

Wow I’m shocked at some of the replies on here. I did post this originally because I thought it was pretty poor my company doesn’t supply a sanitary bin to dispose of my period waste but wow I cannot believe the attitudes of some of the people in here.
If the bin is lined and emptied by a cleaner I would find this ok but tbh an open bin isn’t great let’s face it and I’m not looking forward to spending a summer there if this situation remains as it’s just disgusting imo.

I’ve think having looked at the floor I doubt they have cleaners and so is probably my bosses wife who takes out the waste. Again unacceptable to me, I think I’ll just move on tbh and next time look more thoroughly at where I’ll be working. The thing is I had tampons and a pad that basically went straight into a non lined small bathroom bin. Unless someone bleached that bin it’s pretty disgusting and I get the idea no one cares and I don’t really want to work for a company like that. In the very least line the bag and leave sanitary bags out. Cannot believe the attitudes in this day and age of this.

If you saw the bin didn't have a liner, why didn't you wrap your waste in tissue paper?

Even if there was a liner, and a lid, I'd have still wrapped it in tissue if no sanitary bin in the toilet cubicle.

Also, because they don't have chemicals and fragrances in, they can, for some people, over time reduce the severity of your period. Mine isn't as bad as it used to be. The chemicals in tampons are really not good at all and contribute to cramps etc.

Link to that research?

Oh and everything is made of “chemicals”.