Unisex toilets in new office - dread going into work

[SocialMol]

The company I work for moved to a new office a few weeks ago. It is brand new and shared 50/50 with another company. We have our own side of the floor, key card protected so completely separate.

However, the toilets are in the middle of the block so are shared with the other company. These are unisex - several cubicles with shared area for sinks/dryers etc.

The other company is a sales one (they run a call centre there) and the demographic of their workforce is mainly young men in their 20’s.

There have been several instances of inappropriate comments made to staff in the toilets. Crass stuff like ‘give that cubicle 5 minutes’ to cruder comments directed at or about women - the men will often be talking about their own colleagues in a derogatory way in front of us.

The final straw for me was this afternoon when I walked out of a cubicle and a spotty young lad said he will ‘join me next time’ 😷

Our company are aware of our concerns but said there’s nothing they can do, as the toilets are designed to be ‘inclusive’ and similar to the other modern office blocks they viewed.

I don’t really know what I’m looking for by posting this to be honest, just wanted to know if anyone else finds this sort of set up completely ridiculous?

I don’t think the problem is the toilet, the problem is you work with inappropriate sexual predators. Why did the spotty lad saw that? Did you ask him to repeat it? I don’t think the toilets had influence on that, as he is clearly a creep

I'd be heading next door to the other company and telling them I was en route to the police to make a complaint of sexual harassment against spotty oik. That is like his name for my complaint, or would they rather the police come down and find out/make enquiries themselves?

I don’t understand the connection between the toilets and the inappropriate colleagues. You think they are only being inappropriate because of the unisex toilet and they would behave acceptably if there were male and female loos? You think the unisex loos give green light for them
to behave like that?

This is official complaint level- I am regularly faced with harassment in the toilets we share with men including another company, some recent examples are… you need to provide a harassment free work environment. I will be working from home until the office is a harassment free environment with a suitable toilet facility.

actually I would also read/ask the feminism and women’s rights topic about the legal requirements on toilets being single sex at work and send that too. So they are culpable on two counts and putting you at risk.

@LillyPJit was not obvious at all that you read the first post!

She wouldn’t be in toilets with them if there were women’s and men’s?

You think a building owner who skimped on build costs by not providing single sex provision would decide to put in two washing areas?

@99bottlesofkombuchabut the male colleagues aren’t going to change their personalities because of 2 toilets? Even if there were 2 toilets it still appears she works with creepy and predatory men.

Where on earth do you work? My work has had unisex toilets for years and never had anything even remotely like that happen.

I'm not sure why washing your hands at a sink in a room with men is any worse than sharing a work kitchen with men. If the toilets are floor to ceiling then the issue is the spotty guy.

Yes! This

Ironically, if the OP tried to gather photographic or video evidence in the bathrooms she might well find herself in a lot of trouble.

They might have single-sex provision for perfectly valid reasons (not just cost) and it's not reasonable to assume anything.

The men can make inappropriate comments in other places too. Separate toilets don't do away with ignorant, sexist men.

Could women staff members talk to the boss / head of loos and get your company to have a meeting with the boss / head of loos of the other company and formally request more considerate behaviour when using the loos. It sounds quite an uncomfortable space for women. They are your neighbours after all.

Her employer decided to move to a location which had no toilets under its direct control.

This means that the employer has no way of vetting the staff or random stranger who used the toilets. Th employer has no way of stoppimg this so the OP is using a mixed sex public toilet.

Her employer decided to move to a location which fails to provided a woman only toilet space so the men who want to harrass the OP are given a point of access.

They dont work for the OPs company if there were no shared toilets the OP would have much less or no contact with these men.

Working from home where you also have unisex toilets?

Get a grip.

OP please read the link that @doodleZ1shared. Then talk with your manager/HR about that. If they can’t fix it then they need to allow remote working full time. The fact they have not considered this in their move to the new building is inconsiderate at best.

Well your employer has a duty of care towards you and is required to provide you with a safe working environment free from harassment. I would give ACAS a call, but suspect you’ll be asked to file a grievance against the company for not providing such. Then, depending on the outcome of that, you could look into constructive dismissal.
Regarding the grievance, you’ll likely be more successful if you & your colleagues all file. The company will then have to feed this back to the building management firm and find a solution.

Nothing to do with unisex cubicles and everything to do with the bizarre dated culture that’s allowed to exist in your workplace.
I’ve never worked anywhere where comments like this would be normalised or accepted.

Did you report it to HR?

You win the prize for most idiotic comment. 🥇 It’s a bit different sharing toilets with men in your family who you trust and live with, than random blokes. If you don’t understand that, you need help.

It’s the business that shares the same floor, hence the challenge.
But agree, the 1950’s called & they want their sales bro’s back.

I mean, if a bloke said he'd join me next time, I would say what, to watch me having a shit? Whats wrong with you? And leave it at that. But I am an old bird that doesn't suffer fools gladly.

Technically what that young lad said is sexual harassment.

I would be writing a very exposing email to all the manager, CEOS etc saying are they saying they are happy for women to experience sexual harassment in the workplace? Just to be absolutely clear?

put them on it!

The building floor the OP works on has not got single sex provision. It has not even got lawful provision.

The designer has not provided it while designing
The developer has not provided it while fitting out.
The landlord has not provided it while renting it out.
The OPs employer has not provided it while buying the use of floor space.