Is it seen to BU to go to the toilet at work?

[KittySocks]

Posting here for traffic. In the office this morning, there were 2 members of my team having a moan. Essentially, someone had gone to the toilet and had sprayed some of the provided air freshener. Staff member moans that the staff member in question should have waited until they got home before they "stink out the work toilets".

Staff members in question are mid 20s. It started a stupid debate in the office and basically, the older generation see no issue with going to the toilets at work. Younger generation claim they would be mortified and state they would not poop at work!

Is it a generational thing then? I'm of the mindset, if you have to go, you have to go!

YABU - Get a grip - poop away
YANBU - Gross! Hold it in until you get home!

From anecdotal evidenve I think this may be a millenial thing for many, yes.

Most of my millenial nieces are like this and also my husband. I'm just about Gen X as are my sisters and we take every opportunity to use the loo EVERYWHERE.

What a ridiculous attitude of the anti poo brigade. I am retired now but in the nearly 40 years I worked I don't think I ever came across this attitude. If you have to go you go.

I remember DH once saying his manager was dismayed because for years his routine meant that he needed to go just after he got to work. Fine. But then something must gave changed and now he was needing to go before he left home do, as he put it, he was having to crap on his own time.

@marshmallowfinder I'm not sure why you're rolling your eyes. Whether I shit at work or not, it does not affect you 😵‍💫🤣 I just cannot do it, I'm nearly finished so wahoooo

No!

Go when you need to go. Holding it longer than is necessary is not good for you, and many people (me for example) cannot do it or we'll realllllllllly suffer (or just cannot, at all!).

I once knew a woman who cancelled a holiday with her new beau, as she couldn’t face sharing a hotel bathroom incase he smelled / heard anything… I wonder if she ever got married or had kids!

it is not an age thing
the person who made the smell, afaik, was a younger person in their 20s.

it is healthy to go when you need to

a colleague i knew had to go home for lunch to go!

if i needed i found a little used toilet

I mostly can't, and don't need to. When I can't avoid it, I'll go to the furthest, least-used loo that I can find, but I don't see anything wrong with other people doing it. It's literally what loos are for.

Back when we had an hour-and-a-half commute, my bowels would know when I was about 15 minutes from home and would start to cramp in anticipation, after being perfectly fine all day. My body was definitely trained.

Like everyone else, I avoid workplace pooping (!) but would go if necessary. I’m lucky to be very regulated so not too much if an issue!

Think the younger set need to grow up - age, bad diet, fatness has a detrimental effect on a multitude of body functions. Considering how much worse many of their lifestyles are than their older colleagues were at a similar age they may be pooping uncontrollably in the work toilets before long!

It was an age/immaturity thing when I was at school but I think most people grow up about it when they start working.

Spectacular 😂😂😂

I'm classed as millennial and tbh it's quite a thing not to poo anywhere but home 😂

I don't judge people for doing a poo at work, it's a toilet, that's literally what it's for! I do judge the people who don't make sure it's all flushed / clean the toilet / just leave crap everywhere though, but that's a normal thing to judge I think?!

I personally won't go at work but I'm lucky that I don't go daily and also wfh half the time so can normally get away with never pooing at work! I can't poo out of the house (unless I'm actually ill) and sometimes struggle on holidays too, it's a nightmare.

I'm in my early 30's. I have a friend who won't ever poo in work, whereas I regularly block the toilets.

No way could I hold a poo in all day

Holding in your bowel movement for a full working day on a regular basis could render you gravely unwell.
If you need to go, you go. Do they need stronger air freshener? It's much dependent on where the toilets are and if they have adequate ventilation.
Noone likes smelling other people's excretia.
Is there anything office management could do? Bar accusing people or banning solids in the bogs, lol.
I luckily used to have quite a private loo at work, in that it was just the one enclosed room with sink, with window, and only a few women on that floor. A lot of the men from the other floors would use our floors mens room when they shat. Fun times...

How lucky those people are not to have bowel issues or periods that cause upset stomach / IBS. I too would prefer not to at work or indeed anywhere other than my own bathroom but that’s not an option.

I would have thought your colleagues would be more careful in not being discriminatory against those with disabilities that mean they don’t have the luxury of “waiting”. Even if they did think that privately.

This is the type of thread that would belong in a BumsNet topic if we had one. I'm campaigning for one but it hasn't had a lot of interest!

The only times I've come across complaints about people using the loo at work have been on MN! Never IRL, though of course people should be hygienic about it. I have medical problems that mean that if I've got to go, I've got to go; more people have such problems than one would think. And even without medical problems, people are likely to be less efficient and worse at concentrating on their work if they're preoccupied with 'holding it in'.

I really think that the lockdowns have led to some people becoming unused to and intolerant of the normal consequences of having other people near one's space. Until and unless WFH ever becomes universal, we do have to tolerate the existence of other humans at work- including the human characteristic of sometimes needing to get rid of one's waste. That's what loos are for!

This reminds me of school. You couldn’t poop at school because the harpy girls would cackle and laugh, generally rip you to pieces. I remember having to go and trying to catch it in loo roll so I could place it carefully in the bowl and nobody would hear the plop. I personally don’t care. It shouldn’t be a thing.

If you've gotta go, you've gotta go. That goes for number 2s aswell. Christ Almighty.

I'm nearly finished so wahoooo

A number one or a number two?

I think some people wouldn't dream of opening their bowels at work and are genuinely shocked that others will/can, although I've only realised this in later life.

For me you use the nearest toilet when you need it, it had never occurred to me to do anything else, until a colleague was having a rant about someone doing a poo at work "just who does that??"

She wasn't young though, mid 50s.

Oh trust me, this was an issue for many of my family members pre-lockdown.

I don't understand it myself. I'm fastitidious about hygiene and cringe at a dirty toilet but I just cannot take the risk of having an accident.

I also have no shame in going to businesses and asking to use their toilets, even staff ones.

As much as we try to convince ourselves otherwise, the WORKPOO is inevitable. For those who hate pooing at work, following is the Survival Guide for taking a dump at work.

CROP DUSTING -- When farting, you walk briskly around the office so the smell is not in your area and everyone else gets a whiff but doesn't know where it came from. Be careful when you do this. Do not stop until the full fart has been expelled. Walk an extra 30 feet to make sure the smell has left your pants

FLY BY -- The act of scouting out a bathroom before pooing. Walk in and check for other pooers. If there are others in the bathroom, leave and come back again. Be careful not to become a FREQUENT FLYER. People may become suspicious if they catch you constantly going into the bathroom.

ESCAPEE -- A fart that slips out while taking a leak at the urinal or forcing a poo in a cubicle. This is usually accompanied by a sudden wave of embarrassment. If you release an escapee, do not acknowledge it. Pretend it did not happen. If you are standing next to the farter in the urinal, pretend you did not hear it. No one likes an escapee. It is uncomfortable for all involved. Making a joke or laughing makes both parties feel uneasy.

JAILBREAK -- When forcing a poo, several farts slip out at a machine gun pace. This is usually a side effect of diarrhea or a hangover. If this should happen, do not panic. Remain in the cubicle until everyone has left the bathroom to spare everyone the awkwardness of what just occurred.

COURTESY FLUSH -- The act of flushing the toilet the instant the poo hits the water. This reduces the amount of air time the poo has to stink up the bathroom. This can help you avoid being caught doing the WALK OF SHAME.

WALK OF SHAME -- Walking from the cubicle, to the sink, to the door after you have just stunk up the bathroom. This can be a very uncomfortable moment if someone walks in and busts you. As with farts, it is best to pretend that the smell does not exist. Can be avoided with the use of the COURTESY FLUSH.

OUT OF THE CLOSET POOER -- A colleague who poos at work and is proud of it. You will often see an Out Of The Closet Pooer enter the bathroom with a newspaper or magazine under his or her arm. Always look around the office for the Out Of The Closet Pooer before entering the bathroom.

THE POOING FRIENDS NETWORK (P.F.N) -- A group of co-workers who band together to ensure emergency pooing goes off without incident. This group can help you to monitor the whereabouts of Out Of The Closet Pooers, and identify SAFE HAVENS.

SAFE HAVENS -- A seldom used bathroom somewhere in the building where you can least expect visitors. Try floors that are predominantly of the opposite sex.This will reduce the odds of a pooer of your sex entering the bathroom.

TURD BURGLAR -- Someone who does not realize that you are in the cubicle and tries to force the door open. This is one of the most shocking and vulnerable moments that can occur when taking a poo at work. If this occurs, remain in the cubicle until the Turd Burglar leaves. This way you will avoid all uncomfortable eye contact.

CAMO-COUGH -- A phoney cough that alerts all new entrants into the bathroom that you are in a cubicle. This can be used to cover-up a WATERMELON, or to alert potential Turd Burglars. Very effective when used in conjunction with an ASTAIRE.

ASTAIRE -- A subtle toe-tap that is used to alert potential Turd Burglars that you are occupying a cubicle. This will remove all doubt that the cubicle is occupied. If you hear an Astaire, leave the bathroom immediately so the pooer can poo in peace.

WATERMELON -- A poo that creates a loud splash when hitting the toilet water. This is also an embarrassing incident. If you feel a Watermelon coming on, create a diversion. See CAMO-COUGH.

HAVANA OMELET -- A case of diarrhea that creates a series of loud splashes in the toilet water. Often accompanied by an Escapee. Try using a Camo-Cough with an Astaire.

UNCLE TED -- A bathroom user who seems to linger around forever. Could spend extended lengths of time in front of the mirror or sitting on the pot. An Uncle Ted makes it difficult to relax while on the crapper, as you should always wait to poo when the bathroom is empty. This benefits you as well as the other bathroom attendees

Before I had my gallbladder removed I would wait all day, now I couldn't but optimistically like to think that I'm getting paid to poop

We have one men's, one women's, one unisex. Literally one cubicle for each. I don't like going at work but I do understand that's my own issue, and if you have to go, you have to go.
However. One of my (female) colleagues arrives half an hour before everyone else. By the time I arrive, she's had a poo in the only ladies. Every morning. And it stinks. It stinks the toilet cubicle out, it smells in the corridor. It's awful.
I completely understand that some people need to go when the urge takes them. But EVERY DAY as soon as she arrives? It's like she's now in the habit and has almost trained herself to go at 8.31am. Rather than 8.05 before leaving home.
It's not a nice experience for everyone else for the rest of the morning until it disperses.
She also turns the light off, which then cuts the extractor fan off, so it takes even longer to disperse.
Your colleagues sound childish, but it IS an issue if someone is making a communal space an unpleasant experience for others to use.