To go to the toilet at work?

[Bornnotbourne]

Recently started working in a school as an assistant. I’ve had part of bowel removed and disclosed this in my interview as I have a gap in my CV. I was pulled up on going to the toilet yesterday by the SLT, there were enough staff looking after the kids and I had asked another staff member. She said she expects me to go straight from one task to another (I.e looking after them inside to outside).
Should I remind her that I have a re-sected bowel? Or just wear a pad? I’m really embarrassed about my bowels and it’s something I haven’t even spoken to my family about. I go to a public toilet before work and generally only go once in work.

I know a former teacher who ended up with severe kidney damage due to not drinking enough so that she didn’t have to use the toilet very often. It’s completely unacceptable to expect anyone to not have access to a toilet when they need to use one.

Before getting all heavy-handed I would request a quick meeting with her first and say that due to the bowel surgery you mentioned in your interview you do have toilet needs and you hadn’t realised this would be an issue. She’ll know that you have a right to reasonable adjustments and will no doubt (hopefully) be mortified.

But what misunderstanding can there be?

Adult working with children goes to the toilet while adequate staff ratio maintained.

It’s ridiculous that it warrants any further explanation.

Apparently bladder issues are very common amongst teachers and nurses due to limited access to the toilet.
I too had a kidney infection when I was still teaching and now suffer with an overactive bladder though not teaching anymore.
The problem I found in school (infants) was that you cannot leave the children unsupervised and if you have no TA and the class next door is at PE or on a trip, there can literally be no one to cover you.
One school I worked at got around this by allowing you to text the office who would then send someone to cover you.
Could this be an option OP?

Pupils at schools are not allowed to go to the toilet during lessons unless they have a special card to show

Obviously this is embarrassing and affects girls on their periods who are excruciatingly embarrassed as teens to say they're leaking

OP is an adult so should be able to communicate their need for using the toilet better especially as OP work is looking after and advocating for minors.

OP needs to speak up

OP

Did you make it very very clear that due to your bowel issues you would be caught short at times and have to rush to the toilet mid lesson

And therefore leave during a lesson and leave the children without you to care for them which is your job

Regardless of other TAs / support staff being in the room

Teachers can not leave a room of pupils whilst they go to the loo. They absolutely can not

I worked in nurseries and schools from the age of 16. I didn’t drink enough to avoid needing the loo. Age 21 I had a huge kidney stone removed. I was by far the youngest person on the ward and had constant comments on how I was so young. Oh and of course me being signed off for two weeks went down like a lead balloon- when I told the ht not a mention of hope it goes well or your poor thing. First question was well how long am I going to need to pay for cover for? I left afew weeks later

What did you tell them exactly during your interview ?

What information did you hold back due to your 'embarrassment'

Your job is ultimately to look after minors, children.

Meaning you can not just go off to the loo mid lesson whatever the reason

It seems like nothing has been put into place to allow for this because you’re on MN complaining which seems like you did not 100 % fully divulge the consequences of your bowel issue to the school because of your embarrassment

Lawsuit? This ain't America

Also OP how did you think you would manage your condition by working in a school during set lessons looking after children ?

If you had thought this through you would have spoken to the school about it properly knowing surely you can't possibly just leave to go to the loo when you needed to without setting somthing in place to accommodate you leaving a lesson

It does not seem like this conversation has happened

In which case are you responsible enough to look after children if you can't seem to sort out this basic issue

No one can stop you using the loo at work. This leader sounds like a bully. I'd put in a complaint to Head Teacher reminding them it was disclosed at your interview and is discrimination against your disability. The Head will knock SL back in line

Telling someone you've had part of your bowel removed means nothing to the school unless you have explained it affects when you need to go to the toilet and therefore impacts your role looking after children and having to leave them mid lesson

Did you make that fact clear

Or were you too embarrassed

Yes they can in a school

And they do

I hope that, as you are a teacher, the fact that you wrote ‘there colleagues’ instead of ‘their colleagues’ was just a blip!

Do you have a stoma? It's amazing how little people know about them.

Definitely speak to your line manager/SLT and explain the situation properly. I can't imagine they wouldn't let you use the toilet when you needed to - as long as there was cover.
They won't want to get caught out being discriminatory.

Some medical conditions make this impossible.

Not sure you need to involve your union at this early stage. Why didn’t you just politely remind her of your medical condition when she pulled you up?

Disgusting attitude like that keeps people from working when they have a disability. I would kick up major fuss. Why should YOU wear a pad if they are disgusting???

Regardless you should be allowed to go to the toilet when needed but in some professions it's just not that easy and especially not on a regular basis

Especially not when you are looking after children.

Just talk to the head of dept or deputy head or safeguarding team about your situation and get something in writing out in place but you need a proper serious discussion and this is no place to be embarrassed.

You have to be completely open and honest about your condition and all the varying factors it can present in varying situations.

I'm sure you will be well supported and placed in classes with other TAs enabling you to slip out to the loo without causing safeguarding issues for the children in your care

Btw @Bornnotbourne

My comments are just issues for you to think about when you talk to the school so that you come prepared for what you need to state and the information they will require

I hope it all works out for you

Schools can be tough environments to work in

Obviously medical conditions require reasonable adjustments but teachers are generally not allowed to leave classes of pupils unattended.

In writing to SLT and HR and copying in Union Rep:

I am writing to ask for clarification the policy on toilet access, as governed by the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, under which employers are legally required to provide readily accessible, clean and suitably equipped toilet facilities for their employees. This is after having been admonished for using the toilet when I needed to do so, having informed colleagues and ensured there would be an adequate staff to child ratio for the short duration of my absence.

It would be detrimental to my health and would amount to discrimination for disability if I am not allowed any access to toilets during the working day. As I disclosed at my interview I have had a bowel resection operation and this affects the functioning of my system such that it would be even more difficult for me to go for long periods without toilet access (more so than for people who have not got any bowel or digestive issues, who may well also find it difficult and detrimental not to have toilet access in any case, hence the above mentioned legislation).

Please confirm what the appropriate steps should be when I need to use these facilities. I will always need to use them at least once during the working day at times that can't always be predicted or planned for although I am happy to do my best to comply with any reasonable procedures that are in place to ensure that there is no detriment to children while these reasonable needs are accommodated.

Exactly. Everybody has the right to 💩 at work.

FGS!

Going to the toilet during working hours is a basic (human) right and it’s irrelevant whether the employee has a disability or not.

Sounds like the senior staff need reminding of their duty of care to ALL staff.