About the loos at work?

[parabala]

I am more than happy to to told IABU!

I work in an open plan office which houses several teams. I'd say it's 75% women and 25% men, actually probably slightly higher re women (health care).
In my section there are three loos, all three self contained. One has a sign on it saying it's for men only.
Occasionally the other two are both busy, so I use the men's.
The other day I went to go to the loo. The men's was empty, other two in use, and a woman (who I didn't know) was waiting. I briefly considered going into the "men's", but wasn't bold enough to so I left and returned a bit later.

Now, to me it makes no sense that a fully self contained loo (sink, dryer bin etc) needs to be male or female. The only thing I can think of is that women can spend more time in there dealing with sanpro etc, but it's rare they're all in use at the same time.

I'm curious as to what others think? AIBU thinking it's fine to use the men's in this situation if the other two are busy?

(And most importantly, I am using the apostrophe correctly in "men's", aren't I? )

If it's anything like my workplace you won't want to be using the same loo as the men. The stench!
I'd rather wait.

You do need a men's loo, separate cubicles or not, because if all three become unisex all three will have pee on the seat, on the floor, and stink to high heaven.

Unless they are unisex keep to your own.

One says it’s men’s only. Does one also have a sign saying women only? Otherwise that’s odd (unless the men’s only had a urinal)

@HappyDaysToCome

One says it’s men’s only. Does one also have a sign saying women only? Otherwise that’s odd (unless the men’s only had a urinal)

The others don't, but I think that's because there is such an unequal women to men ratio. The men's loo doesn't smell, BTW. It's as clean as the others.

@rwalker

Unless they are unisex keep to your own.

Even if the male loo is free and the others are busy? It just makes no sense to me to wait by a perfectly useable empty loo!

That’s odd though, so it’s ok for women to wait but not ok for men to wait?

I don’t think I understand completely, does it mean the other two toilets are unisex but there is some sort of unspoken agreement that they’re for the women to use?

In that case don’t start using the men’s toilet, if one of the men starts seeing you do this they’re probably going to use the ‘female’ toilets next and it’s soon going to be a dirty mess there.

@LaBellina the other two don't have signs. The male loo has a sign saying that it's for men only.

Personally I’d prefer one men only, one women only, one anyone, so I can choose not to worry about see on seat/ seat up.

All in my office are communal, small office and loos on random places. By a process of elimination (involving spreadsheet based on which men had signed in that day...) I identified the man who always left the loo seat up. He doesn’t work there anymore....

How odd! I would think that with the women outnumbering the men, there would be more need for women only toilets!

Wee not see on seat!

Well men piss on the floor a lot more than women do....and leave the seat up... we had a similar loo situation at a temporary office for a while and honestly it was absolutely grim

I agree with you, OP. Self contained loos should be unisex. And because women tend to use them more often and for longer, therefore with equal number of both sexes in the office women are disadvantaged. Even more so in your company with 75-25% split.

And it's not true that women's are cleaner. It depends on the persons using it.

Why is there a men only one and not a women only one too?

In a genuine situation where you have a health issue that means you need to go without warning, then yes use the men's. However, not just because you did not go earlier when you could, or could wait.

And it's not true that women's are cleaner. It depends on the persons using it.

True. Men piss on the floor, women hover.

I’d honestly complain. Or at least ask why. And are they aware it impacts negatively on women’s performance? If men can go to the loo 95% of the time (having 3 loos to choose from, one of which is much more available as it can only be used by 25% of the workforce who take a minute each, typically) and women have to turn around and come back later 50% of the time, how much lost productivity is that?

It sounds tiny but it’s the little things that add up. You’ve walked to the loo and come back, then sat for a while needing the loo and being distracted, then gone again and had to wait behind another woman, wasting another 5 minutes.

So, the blokes who make up a small fraction of the work force get a choice of 3 cubicles, while the women who make up the majority get to share 2. Thats mad.

If men can use ALL the loo's at the moment then you are not being U for using theirs too!
But if the men stick to theirs then you using their loo might lead to them using the other two which as pp have mentioned would turn it into a disgusting mess!
Why aren't the other two loos marked FEMALE ONLY?
If I were you I'd make that sign and put it on the door myself

@HappyDaysToCome u r amazing :D

Do the men use the other 2 cubicles? Or do men have the choice if 3 while women get 2 ?

I prefer single sex toilets but if the others are unites then the "mens " should be unisex too surely?

Can you contact managent and see if they will put women signs on the other 2? That way at least if you are having to wait you will not be waiting fir men

Personally I wouldn't use the mens as I don't believe I invading their space any nore than I think they should invade the womens. However if they use yours then leave theirs free then that takes the mick

YABU - there's undoubtedly a reason why they've put that sign there or made that decision. If you're against there being a single-sex toilet then raise it with management and challenge it, but don't just break the rules. Would you be ok if you worked in a heavily male-dominated workplace and you had a toilet assigned just for women but the men still thought it was ok to use it? And even if you would be ok with it, do you think everyone would agree? If you disagree with the rules then by all means challenge them but don't just break them. The fact that you wouldn't use the men's with your other colleague there watching shows that you know you're doing something wrong.

@HappyDaysToCome

I’d honestly complain. Or at least ask why. And are they aware it impacts negatively on women’s performance? If men can go to the loo 95% of the time (having 3 loos to choose from, one of which is much more available as it can only be used by 25% of the workforce who take a minute each, typically) and women have to turn around and come back later 50% of the time, how much lost productivity is that?

It sounds tiny but it’s the little things that add up. You’ve walked to the loo and come back, then sat for a while needing the loo and being distracted, then gone again and had to wait behind another woman, wasting another 5 minutes.

You might want to check your maths because your numbers make absolutely zero sense.

I worked in an office like this. I’d use the men only one on occasion but hated it, the seat was always up. It never happed in the other three as the men always used the men only one.

I used to work ina place with 23 women and two men. Two self contained loo/ washbasin combos, one larger with the addition of a urinal. Designated men and women. We had a 15 minute break - most had at least a 5 min walk to get to the loos.
We shared both, and the men did not use the urinal (in fact we stored a narwhale tooth thing in it).
YANBU.