About toilets at work?

[HalloweenIsEveryday]

My workplace is now operating with a skeleton staff, which means there are only 3 women working and a lot more men (probably around 15-20).

There are men's and ladies toilets, each with 3 cubicles in each - standard public loos with 'gaps' at the front and to the side so the walls are not down to the floor.

It has been proposed that the men can use the ladies loos too, and to make all the toilets unisex. This is apparently to minimise risk from too many men using the same loos.

The thought makes me feel violated. I'm on my period at the moment and I hate the thought of it. Apparently they are allowed to make the loos unisex but it doesn't feel right to me?

Maybe I'm being precious about it - I know it's a workplace which is different to public loos but even so.

Yanbu! That would be awful! Can you talk to hr?

That's so wrong. Go to HR

If you post this in feminist chat they can give you the exact law but unless they are floor to ceiling individual cubicles with sinks in them it would be illegal. You may need to make sure that they are using the actual equality act and not stonewall made up law

We do not have a proper HR person, only an office manager

In my experience men are very happy to poo at work where women tend not to. I've had several men tell me that they like that they are getting paid to poo! Grim.

I would hate to be having a wee next to a man having a crap. I would definitely kick up a fuss. Maybe suggest they look at the gender imbalance in the company if they are so worried about all these men sharing a toilet, that would solve it!

Of course they're going to take loos away from women to protect the men. Why am I not surprised?

Women ALWAYS have to queue for the loos when men don't. The one time it's the other way round, an employer kicks up a fuss and says it's not safe. Of course they do. Tell the office manager where to go OP.

Do you have a seaprate disabled access toilet? If so, and dependent if anyone explicitly needs that, could you suggest that becomes the women's toilet and the men can then share the other two sets?

The HSE says:
"separate rooms containing conveniences are provided for men and women except where and so far as each convenience is in a separate room the door of which is capable of being secured from inside."

i.e. they can't just get you all to share unless the doors are floor to ceiling - a self contained toilet pod

How many men are there usually in the office? Why is 3 cubicles suddenly not sufficient?

If they want to do that they need to fit a lock on the W/C external door. Not the cubicles.

That’s what our office had done, to make sure that people are distanced.

Wasn’t there a ruling within the last week or so that women have the right to sex separated toilets?

Why is 3 cubicles suddenly not sufficient?

Maybe it's due to additional covid restrictions? Our work loos are now max 1 perspn in the whole room at a time, regardless of the number if cubicles. So in the past 3 people could use the loos at the same time. Now it's one.

Nope. Just say "Oh were not allowed, it's illegal for mixed toilets to have cubicles with gaps." And shrug it off maybe with a "guess the men will just have to start washing their hands" joke.
Then you're not the problem, it's just the law.

That’s really grim. I have worked in small offices with only 2 self contained loos, and those were quickly designated as male & female.
People can be pretty messy ( both sexes) and all the upping & downing of loo seats is just too grotty to contemplate.
Make sure the other women are onside and stand your ground.

If you are on a skeleton staff, surely there are far fewer people using the same number of toilets. I can't see why there is suddenly deemed to be too much risk. They can presumably put in place rules for Covid purposes saying there must never be more than, say, two people at a time in the gents.

There is no way I would be happy with this. Don't the men's toilets also have urinals in them?

When everyone is at work are there more toilet blocks available or is this the amount of toilets there would normally be? If normal, then I think they should be used in the normal way with the men only using the men's and the women only using the ladies'.

I would make my feelings clear now, in an email.

Straight up illegal, the relevant legislation is the Equality Act 2010 and the 1992 Building regs. Another poster has quoted it above.

If the men have to queue, so be it - welcome to our world!

Absolute no from me. I thought the UK ruling last week was to help toilets stay sex specific?

Kick up a fuss OP, it’s not something they would dare to push back too much on. some things are not to be compromised on.

We had unisex, wasn't an issue. 2 self contained (with sink inside) cubicles each onto the corridor. If they are fitting locks to the outer door (so only one cubicle can be used) a they have done at the local pub, then it's the same as floor to ceiling cubicles so allowed.

In my experience men don't really worry where they pee, you could just give them a bucket in the corner.

Actually the bucket isn't really necessary either.

Definitely go to the office manager and ask for re-assurance that surly considering there are gaps in the cubicles they won't be made unisex.

@timeforachange33

In my experience men are very happy to poo at work where women tend not to. I've had several men tell me that they like that they are getting paid to poo! Grim.

I would hate to be having a wee next to a man having a crap. I would definitely kick up a fuss. Maybe suggest they look at the gender imbalance in the company if they are so worried about all these men sharing a toilet, that would solve it!

The poo thing is absolutely right. I’ve always worked in an environment that is very male dominant. The blokes are very open about making sure they poo at work, because it’s a chance to have a little break and because their wives don’t let them poo at home. Our shared toilets were disgusting with urine all over the seat and floor. I tried not to use the loo at all if I could help it. OP you’re not being unreasonable at all in not wanting this to happen. I think the whole period argument is a perfect example of why it’s wrong. There’s no way I would use a loo with a man in the next stall.