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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

This is some BULLSHIT - female toilets at work

163 replies

HonestlyPromisely · 02/02/2022 06:28

Main building and separate smaller building

Smaller building (where I work) is very very old. Roughly 60 women and exactly TWO men work in there.

Female toilets are constantly blocked out of use. When this happens we have to traipse over to the main building. They’ve been out of action for two weeks now and maintenance have put an email around to say they will not be fixing them as building is due to be torn down in 6 mths and they will just keep breaking.

Women will have to walk over to main building (about 50m away) to use the loo

Why the fuck can’t the men go to the main building and we have the mens toilets which apparently work absolutely fine?! They have 3 cubicles and 2 urinals, we have 3 cubicles.

AIBU here? Shouldn’t the two men be asked to go over to the main building given there’s only bloody two of them?

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 02/02/2022 06:57

If the buildings old and not fit for purpose I'm going to hazard a guess that the only reason the mens toilets still work is that they're hardly used.

ffscovid · 02/02/2022 06:58

Was 50m a typo as that's really not very far.
I get that if it's really chucking it down that it might be a bit unpleasant, but in reality that won't happen often in the next 6 months (I have to use toilets in another building and I can count on one hand the number of times in the last year I've felt the need to put my umbrella up on the walk).
How often do you go to the loo on the average working day? I'm guessing probably twice. Enjoy the opportunity to be a bit less sedentary during the working day and ask the company to provide a few brollies to keep by the door for use in inclement weather.

HugeAckmansWife · 02/02/2022 06:59

I like the time and motion study approach but all the 'is only 50m' are missing the point. It's also not about male and female, it's simple numbers. 2 people inconvenienced or 60. I'd say the same if the sexes were reversed. Realistically management aren't going to spend whatever if it is fixing them if it really is being demolished so no point going down that route.

Thatsplentyjack · 02/02/2022 07:00

Yes, and I'm sure if this situation was the other way around, the 2 women in the office would be delighted if they were told they could no longer use the women's toilets because they had to give them to the men in the office.

longwayoff · 02/02/2022 07:05

YABU get your managers to sort it out or just use (ugh) the men's anyway. What will they do? Sack you? Of course not.

GirlInACountrySong · 02/02/2022 07:08

I think you are LOOKING to be outraged

It's simple, as others have said and not the massive issue you want it to be

OddSocksSparklyDocsandDungaree · 02/02/2022 07:10

Yabu. Its a 50m walk. Imagine if 60 men expected 2 women to use the main building toilet 'just because'. Hmm

CanIHaveASnaaaaak · 02/02/2022 07:11

YABU because you’re aiming your anger at the wrong people.
Why should the men walk over? Why should anyone walk over? As a PP said, if there are 2 guys it must be easy enough to make the loo unisex and see when the men are at their desk.

There is a question of why the woman’s loo constantly blocks. If the mens doesn’t block is it “user error” and not the plumbing.

Are the women in the office blocking the loo with too much paper or by flushing sanitary items/etc? If that’s the case then why punish the men by making them walk (and end up walking in a few weeks time once those loos have been blocked too…).

SpinningTheSeedsOfLove · 02/02/2022 07:12

Is there an accessible toilet for workers with mobility issues, hidden disabilities like IBS / IBD, and gynae/obs needs?

When I had very heavy menstrual bleeding with fibroids when I was perimenopausal (quite the winning combination I’m sure you’ll agree), I definitely needed a toilet and sink close by. Not my happiest memories.

Foolsrule · 02/02/2022 07:18

It’s like that film, Hidden Figures, all over again.

sashh · 02/02/2022 07:19

Just start going all at the same time, 60 women all leaving at, say, 10.00 am, all taking 2 mins (don't go back individually) has you all out of the office for a couple of hours.

If the toilets are not repaired then they could easily put porta loos closer.

JustHavinABreak · 02/02/2022 07:19

Why can't you all use the men's until the move?

Ijustreallywantacat · 02/02/2022 07:23

50m is hardly far, and if genuinely does just keep breaking I can why they think it's not worth the cost. Just use the mens if you're desperate/form an agreement with the men.

LavenderAskew · 02/02/2022 07:27

You're focusing on the wrong thing. Six months is a long time to not sort a plumbing issue.

In reality 50m is not that far. My loos in work are farther away from my desk than that an involve three security doors. It's a pain certainly, but the men shouldn't be the ones put out just because they are the minority

It is odd, especially in this dates and age, that the loos in your building haven't been made unisex. Though I think that trend tends to be making the women's unisex rather than men's. (Because there's urinals - the horror!!)

Lampshading · 02/02/2022 07:29

I bet if there were 2 women and 60 men the women would be forced to give up their toilets. 50m is fine if you're able bodied, a pain in the ass if you're on your period and rushing around between meetings etc or have limited mobility. Are the cubicles in the men's self contained floor to ceiling?

HugeAckmansWife · 02/02/2022 07:31

Can't believe this is being made so complicated. It's 2 vs 60. Sex is totally irrelevant. I would completely understand if I was one of two women in this scenario being asked to switch or share.

DispareSquid · 02/02/2022 07:31

@TracyMosby

Why do the womens toilets keep getting blocked but he men’s dont?
Because they are currently used by 2 people instead of 60, and women use more toilet paper I'd imagine. My guess is that if the women did get the use of the mens toilets the same problem would happen there. Clearly the plumbing in the old building isn't up to scratch.
Furbulousnous · 02/02/2022 07:34

They should temporarily turn the men’s into unisex with a sign you can flip over on the door. Means that only one person at a time could use them but anyone else, make or female,
Still has the options to walk across to the other building.
Though if there’s plumping issues then the men’s may get blocked too with so much usage.

Ddot · 02/02/2022 07:34

Just get a reversible man woman tag, SHARE

C8H10N4O2 · 02/02/2022 07:35

The issue I'd imagine is less the 50m and more than having to go out to another building in all weathers to use toilets already in use by another group or people.

The problem is poor provision of a basic health and hygiene amenity. The answer isn't to "go unisex", its to hold the company to account to provide basic employment conditions.

OperationRinka · 02/02/2022 07:41

I strongly suspect that if sixty people start using the mens it'll be broken too in no time flat and you'd be no better off.

Crazykatie · 02/02/2022 07:42

3 cubicles is inadequate for 60 women plus 2 men, they should hire a proper female toilet Portacabin for 6 months.

Shiningpath · 02/02/2022 07:42

Please OP, don’t do as a previous poster suggested and say the toilets must be fixed or the building knocked down. You’ll sound like a loon. Just stare your case calmly and based on business efficiency.

girlmom21 · 02/02/2022 07:43

@Crazykatie

3 cubicles is inadequate for 60 women plus 2 men, they should hire a proper female toilet Portacabin for 6 months.
3 cubicles is perfectly fine if people use them properly and respectfully
OddSocksSparklyDocsandDungaree · 02/02/2022 07:49

@Crazykatie

3 cubicles is inadequate for 60 women plus 2 men, they should hire a proper female toilet Portacabin for 6 months.
3 cubicles is absolutely fine. I don't get why you'd think otherwise...