To not want to have to use the mens toilet

[capabilityfrowns]

I'm being investigated for multiple sclerosis and have been off work for some months .

My medical investigations are ongoing and I'm have mobility problems, however I e had to go back to work . The OHU suggested working from home but my supervisor says she wants me in the office at least 2 days a week . My dept recently moved to a new building

She told me the kitchen and toilet were on the ground floor where I will be working.
I went in for first time and discovered the "disabled accessible toilet " is actually the mens toilet on the ground floor - I have to walk through a urinal to get to the loo- this is making me uncomfortable because some bloke could be stood at the urinal as I exit the loo. ! The women's toilet is upstairs and there is no lift .

Ive tried to explain that I'm more productive from home and I can do my job from anywhere but she is holding firm on wanting me in the office 2 days a week which I'm already struggling with.

The toilet is the mens with an "accessible " sticker on the door but I still have to walk through the urinal space either way .
Aibu to say I'm not comfortable using the only toilet I can access ? It's ridiculous. I have to knock before I walk in and shout before I exit the cubicle in case I'm met with a penis !

Yes but you can't work at another location because of your condition! That isn't a reasonable adjustment.

The working from home is a perfectly reasonably adjustment until they've sorted out the loo situation in the location nearest to you. Glad to hear there's at least a lock on the door.

And do the Access to Work form or get someone to do it for you.

There's no grab rails but I have told my inspector today I either need them or a frame . She said there is a budget for such things so maybe they'll get me a frame .

It's not an accessible toilet by any means - but at least now there's a lock on the outside door and I'm donning latex gloves to when I have to heave myself off the loo I'm not physically touching the disgusting thing!

In a week the building is all ours and there's only going to be female staff and one male so that might make things a bit easier .

If I end up in wheelchair I'm buggered but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it .

This is the best I can get right now .

I sent a text today re the loo so my inspector took a bolt off a cupboard and attached it to the outer door on the men's loo and stick a note on the door . Makes me laugh really .
People think the police have all the high tech stuff. There's no grab rails or emergency chord , no room to swing a cat in the loo itself let alone get a wheelchair in there . There's plaster falling off the walls from the damp and the pipes have been replaced by plastic - the building is crumbling. There's a massive hole in the skirting where it's simply rotted away exposing god knows what . But - it's close to home , it's homely in its own way and it's going to be just my little teams place of work so I feel I can't complain.

I'm yet to get confirmation on a diagnosis but I'm pretty sure I've got ms after the optic neuritis and the myoclonic jerks , the fatigue and mobility issues. I'm petting for a diagnosis because I've been like this 2 years already. At least then I can start to demand adjustments.
Thanks to all who posted advise and support. Much appreciated.

I've also contacted my occy health nurse but I don't think she holds much sway tbh - but I'll talk to her .

I'm so sorry but "my inspector took a bolt off a cupboard and attached it to the outer door" made me laugh hard!

I'm glad they're trying (?!) to accommodate you & hope they do so more effectively soon!

It made me laugh too tbh . But they're trying . I want to work from this location so I'm going to suck it up for now .

Have they given you an MRI yet? I'm so sorry you're still waiting for formal diagnosis.

I had one emergency MRI when the optic neuritis started but I'd already been treated with high dose iv steroids- I've got another MRI scheduled for later this month that's more thorough and at a different hospital as it's under neurology team .

Wouldn't the obvious thing then to make the upstairs loo the male one?

To be fair from next week we have the entire building to ourselves and there's only going to be one male employee so I can live with it .

At least now I can lock the outer door so no one can walk in and use the urinal .

It just wouldn't be worth switching it all round for one male employee and me . I've been given the option to work from another location but that would inconvenience me more . I'm doing a hybrid of wfh and in the office but more from home so whilst not ideal , it's a compromise. They are going to look into a more accessible option and they're going to sort grab rails or get me a frame . The building is so old it's just not possible to knock it about to create a disabled toilet . They are trying to accommodate me so I'm just going to go along with it while I can .

I hope it helps you get answers.

Coffee
So do I . Right now it would be a blessed relief just to have any diagnosis, whether it's dementia, brain tumour or ms . I've been getting worse for 2 years from being previously fit active and 💯 healthy.

I'm in pain , got permanent nerve damage , pins and needles , myoclonic jerks , struggle to think of words and the fatigue is something else , I feel like I'm going mad .
I went to the office yesterday and everyone said how well I look . It's so frustrating.

So when there is only 1 male…. Can’t he use upstairs and the downstairs loo becomes female? A really good clean of the urinal and then no one uses it. Worth suggesting?

Don't forget they'll need to add a sanitary bin.

Really sorry to read about your health issues, OP. Not surprised to hear the state of your nick, the one in the centre of my city was next to the river and would always flood, ruining so much stuff in our lockers but no one from SMT cared. It's now demolished and a Travelodge now 😂.

Keep at OHU and try and get the FMA to write up a list of recommendations for you, job takes the piss. Hope you've not got Athena to battle with as well!

Haha! If Athena is your system I bet we've got one as good 😂.

Ive asked for one and one has been ordered.

My sgt rang me today to say I wasn't making a fuss and she totally understood, which made me feel better about being a bit of a pain . She said they hadn't really thought about it but the points I raised were valid .

I'm really loathed to kick up a massive fuss because she is honestly the best supervisor I've ever had and has been so accommodating, so this is fine for now unless I end up in a wheelchair. They've joked about getting me a stannah stair lift 😂. I love my job and I've lost my identity since becoming office bound which has been hard to accept . Thank you everyone for all the suggestions and advice.