Not allowing heavily pregnant woman to use a loo

[pelvicfloorisnomore]

I’m imminently due my third baby and have a massive bump. Popped to the local coop post school run and as I was checking out was desperate for the loo. My pelvic floor is pretty shot from previous 2 kids, the baby had dropped during the school run walk so I was feeling like I could not wait. The store was empty bar a couple of pensioners. I asked if I could use the staff loo as desperate, there are no other loos nearby and I was unlikely to make it the half a mile home in time. The member of staff said no against policy and I soiled myself before I even made it the front door of the shop. Completely humiliating and had to walk home like that and could have been avoided if a little kindness shown.

AIBU to expect some flexibility in branch policy to accommodate for those in need? It hardly fits with the coop key value of caring for others.

That is how I would feel. I worked in 100s of shops and can't think of anywhere where I couldn't have accompanied someone with a medical need to the toilet on the very rare occasion someone asked.

She can pee in the street if she likes - pregnant women can pee anywhere under most by-laws

hahaha can you post a by law to prove that? Can a pregnant woman pee in my front garden? Do I have to let her into my house?

Safe for staff and safe for the public doesn't always mean the same thing though does it? If the staff toilet is on a building site or warehouse where you need to wear hi-vis or hard hats etc. So of course it's safe for trained staff wearing those things. It isn't safe for the public.
And honestly let's face it, "safe" doesn't always happen in many places anyway. Staff may not technically be meant to pile up 50 boxes balanced precariously in a tiny corridor, but sometimes it happens. Staff overworked doing 10 different things pile them up to deal with later. And at that moment the pregnant lady wants to squeeze down the corridor to the loo.
Obviously in most cases this won't be the issue. But to say all staff toilets will always be via a "safe" route isn't true.

I very much doubt the staff in local shops need hi-vis or hard hats and if there are boxes piled everywhere it isn't safe for anyone including staff.

Having worked in 100s of shops, I would think you wouldn't be surprised to learn that the working conditions aren't always ideal 😂

Not always ideal but I haven't worked anywhere where it is dangerous to go to the toilet.

@wombat15

Not always ideal but I haven't worked anywhere where it is dangerous to go to the toilet.

But can you understand that there will be places where it is.

@wombat15 I never needed a hard hat but loading bays can be busy with very large roll cages which are temporarily all over the place when the delivery is being bought in.

Just highlighting this post again for the posters in the back who keep harping on about their wrong assumptions of the Coop's policy

@rainraingoaway91 aren't co-op shops franchises? Or at least under different regional managements?
Anyway....it doesn't matter what the official policy might be. Sales assistants are there to sell and restock goods not escort people to the lav.
Harsh. But true.

I am sorry that happened to you OP. I remember what it was like in late pregnancy, and sometimes with the best planning possible, there is still an urgent need for the toilet. Some people are being horrible to you.

No, it's not the fault of the employees, as they could lose their jobs. But it is something that companies should be considering. Suppose you had an accident in the shop, then slipped and injured yourself? Surely it would be safer and more reasonable to let a visibly pregnant woman use the loo.

Obviously selling and restocking is part of the job but most company also want sales assistants to be polite and helpful (within reason) to their customers, especially the regular ones. There won't be much selling and restocking if regular customers go elsewhere because assistants are rude and unhelpful.

@wombat15 you just don't get it. Every co op I go in has barely any staff. They simply don't have someone available to escort people to the staff toilet unless they close the store.
If a staff member does this for one person - they will become expected to do it for everyone who has an "emergency" need. Then there would be far more complaints that the doors were locked and a "back in five minutes" sign on the door several times a day.
What is needed is many many more actual public toilets.

Not ideal can still mean not suitable for the public. It's not suitable for the staff either but often times it just is what it is at a job and the staff make do.
It's not "dangerous" to the level of needing a hard hat to squeeze down a small corridor packed high with boxes that could fall or up a narrow flight of steep stairs with a roof leak making it slippery and a loo with a broken seat and full of cleaning supplies so you have to sit at an angle etc.
These aren't dangerous to a high level. But it's not appropriate to allow a pregnant woman or small children.
It shouldn't be appropriate for staff either. But the fact is there are places like that and unless you can find a new job a lot of people have no choice.

Many people including me have mentioned letting people with a medical need use the staff toilet on the odd occasion. It doesn't open the flood gates and if there aren't enough staff it is easy to say so.

@wombat15 to be honest the OP said "staff member" giving the impression there was just the one.
I would have thought "Sorry no I can't take you" would be explanation enough. What else would the member of staff need to say?

She said it was against policy which suggests they wouldn't help on principle even if they could.

Often people will say that rather than give a reason as people will try to override that reason.

"Sorry I can't because there isn't enough staff."

"Why does that matter?"

"Someone needs to accompany you."

"You don't need to accompany me. I'm not going to steal anything am I?? Are you accusing me of being a thief???"

"It's also not safe due to it being through the warehouse."

"I'll be careful though. I'm not going to fall over. I'm not an idiot. Just let me go. I'll be fine."

And so on and so on

People often advise on here not to give an actual reason for saying no as people will try and get round the reason with their own reasons why the other person should.

@wombat15 out of curiosity where are you drawing the line at businesses happily letting random people in to use staff toilets?
The local bus depot? A lawyers office? Recycling plant?

Dangerous for a young fit employee, and dangerous for a heavily pregnant stranger who doesn't know the environment are two different things.
Good for you if you've only ever worked in well managed, adequately staffed shops, but it's not always reality.

They would be accompanied. Not all employees are young and fit.🙄

I am talking about the occasional person with medical needs use the toilet if accompanied, not every random member of the public.🙄

The thing is, where would you draw the line? If they let a pregnant lady in, they'd have to let a disabled person in. If they let them in, then an old person. If them, then why not someone who really needs to go?

A blanket policy is actually fairer than bending the rules once.

Imagine the news if they let you in, and then an old lady wet herself because they said she was less worthy of their loo than you. This place discriminates against old people!

How would you know what people will do.

They can draw the line where they think it sensible to draw the line. It's very rare for anyone to ask.