Loo issue in the office

[Standingupstream]

NC for this..
I work in an office with mainly women. There is one man who is senior to us, although he isn’t our manager, and he only started coming over to our office a few months ago.We only have one loo that we all share, and before he started working in our office, this was never an issue.
Now, about 30 minutes after arriving, he disappears into the loo for ages. When he finally comes out, the smell is absolutely suffocating. There’s no window, in the loo and the air fresheners just seem to make the whole thing even more vomit-inducing.
Then, a couple of hours later, he goes again. And again after lunch. And usually once more in the afternoon. This happens pretty much every time he’s in the office, which is around 3–4 days a week.
It has now become a running joke amongst us. If someone needs the loo and it’s occupied, we ask ( other people ) if it’s him, because we all know there’s absolutely no point even attempting to go in for at least half an hour. 😂
My DH actually uses a different loo at home because I hate a poo-smelling bathroom, but obviously if it happens occasionally I’m not exactly precious about it because he’s my DH. I just find it rather gross being subjected to this at work by a man I barely know. 😂

The problem is, we genuinely don’t know what to do about it. How on earth do you approach a grown man about the fact that his toilet habits are basically fumigating the entire office, without completely humiliating him?!
I actually started to worry if he has some serious stomach issues. That would be actually completely different matter.
How would you approach it? Or should we just leave it. We are becoming very cross about it.

I would club together and write a message to senior management. Phrased sensitively i am sure it will be fine. You can be clear as you were here that no one wants to humiliate him but nor is it fair for everyone else to have to deal with the aftermath.

Because it is for people with disabilities.

15 able bodied woman using it would be highly inappropriate.

Of course someone with a medical issue taking 1.5 to 2 hours in a day should use it.

He may well have a health condition but I’d hazard a guess that he’s just an inconsiderate man 😂. Some health conditions make people produce excess gas as well but I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit in an office filled with air from someone’s anus.
Most people would be mortified to do this at work and would wfh until they fixed the toilet issue or take Imodium. But yeah, the issue is the lack of ventilation and the proximity of the toilet to the office. I’d mention to HR.

Could you get HR or management to specify single gender toilets? It is the law now after all. Then he could be directed to the downstairs loo, as your one upstairs is a Woman's one.

This is the thing we are unsure about. BTW to another posters, he is not in the loo for 30+ min, he is there probably less than 10min but it’s the aftermath where we are unable to use the loo.
We were obviously not going to mention anything to him but our manager was going to write an email to HR along the lines if he should be using different loo and impact it has on the office environment. We do have extractor fan in the loo and it is working but it’s quite small so it doesn’t work in this case.
He will obviously know it was us who said anything and I find that very awkward and I really don’t want him to feel humiliated. That why I was asking if we should say anything or not

I couldn't tolerate this. I'd probably be physically sick as my sense of smell is very acute. I'm amazed people are telling you to put up and shut up. I physically couldn't do that in this situation. He may have a medical issue, but that doesn't magically mean people can cope with the side effects of it. I couldn't. I don't know what the answer is OP but you have my utmost sympathy.

Using any kind of air freshener or sachet is going to cause problems for people with asthma, migraines, and fragrance allergies. They don’t belong in shared spaces.

If the space can’t handle employees performing required biological functions, then management needs to improve the facilities.

How the hell do you know he doesn’t have a stoma?

When I had one I would still wear figure hugging dresses and tight jeans - I would empty regularly so it never looked like there was something there! Unless he’s told you he doesn’t have one, then you can’t say he doesn’t.

I once worked with a lady who had one a couple years before I had mine, and that was the first time I came across it. I only knew she had one because the entire office would stink whenever she emptied her bag and she explained to me one day that’s why.

None of us has an issue sharing loo with the men. He is not the only man coming to our office but he became regular. Another men will come for couple of days here and there and this has never been the issue. Everyone else uses office loo for a wee. If anyone else does the poo at work, I wouldn’t know about it so they might be using downstairs loo

Break the toilet.

No seriously. Somehow break it and put a sign up it’s broken.

Then he will have to use downstairs.

When it gets fixed - break it again. Until it gets to the point that someone will have to collar the fixer man and explain the situation and then you come up with another plan such as fixer man says poos are causing issues because of the plumbing or some nonsense. I suggest anyone doing poos uses downstairs. Or just lie and make it out that was the conversation,

Again he doesn’t have a stoma!! If I say he doesn’t have it, its because I know he doesn’t and it’s irrelevant how I know

Health and safety law states employers have to keep workplace toilets clean, and well ventilated. Maybe contact them for advice? Maybe it's only a matter of putting in a stronger extraction fan.

Have the right workplace facilities

I don't think management can ask him to use a different loo. They need to make sure the loo has adequate ventilation - which it clearly doesn't.

Your manager should ask that they upgrade the ventilation in the room as currently it is insufficient and you don't have the required number of useable toilets for much of the day.

I think my colleague is at that point now. She sits closest to the loo!

Sounds like it. Maybe look into the regulations as 1 loo for so many people sounds wrong.
Could approach HR or whoever about installing a fan. We had one in our office loo and worked well.

They could say its a routine h&s visit to spare him embarrassment?

Actually that’s very good! Thank you. I knew someone will be along with a good way to put it across

Ask management to ask him to use the disabled loo downstairs. Obviously the entire office can't be revolted and put off using a toilet for one man, that's nonsense.

Since there are two loos, he can use the downstairs one.

One thing that might help improve things immediately, is that if the fan is intermittent (that is, it turns on while the light is on and then goes off 5 mins later or something) is can probably be adjusted to be permanently on by anyone a bit handy. Which should help a bit even if it still needs upgrading to a fan with more capacity.

I love how people pretend they wouldn't be utterly disgusted by the stench of shit lingering all day long, and not being able to use a toilet for fear of feeling utterly revolted, just because someone else might have digestive/health issues.

The fact that they do, and that you feel sorry for them, does not in any way override the human urge to throw up at the stench of shit.

So, as there are two loos, he can use the other one.

That could well be discrimination on the basis of disability.

It's extremely discriminatory of you to dismiss his digestive issues as not being a disability.

I haven't said he can't use the accessible toilets. I've said you can't insist he does. Insisting some who is disabled only uses the accessible toilets would be disability discrimination.

Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticular disease/diverticulitis, oesophagus/stomach/duodenu, ileostomy/stoma, coeliac disease, gastritis and many more besides are considered disabilities.

If he's shitting 5 times a day there's a good chance he has a disability. But whether he does or not, it's for management to sort out. And no, there's nothing "horrible" about not being able to stand the constant stench of shit. It's quite normal, in fact.

But yes, other than that tell them the extractor fan explicitly does not work.

Can you provide which law prohibits non-disabled people to use a disabled toilet please.

I have a disability, so I am curious.

Also, you have no idea at all if the man in question has a medical issue or not. Some people just shit more than others. Obviously the stench isn’t pleasant, but there’s no reason for the others members of staff to not use the downstairs disabled toilet if the toilet on their floor is occupied by the man having several long shits.