Were these unisex loos legal?

[Sofasogood1]

Lunch with friends the other day and my male friend and I went to the loos before leaving. Entered the loos and there were a row of cubicles, but also another door to a separate room with a sign saying urinals. My male friend actually prefers cubicles so he had a choice. He could have chosen the urinals where let's face it no one without a penis would be. I had my period and actually felt a bit weird changing my pad with men in the next cubicles. There were no sinks in the cubicles and I wonder how I would have felt changing a moon cup or what ever.

Is this legal? I thought if loos are unisex there should be sinks in cubicles?

It felt unfair with men having their own seperate area, and women not having a choice. But the legality - I wasn't sure on and wondered if I should complain or if I'm being a bit precious.

Loos cannot be illegal surely? Sounds fine to me.

Not sure about legalities but I'd be complaining and not going to that restaurant again

It is sex discrimination towards women as they can't use the urinals so women have less facilities available to them than men have.

There are some very specific the about that and full height doors and hand basins inside cubicles are just 2 of them.

We really need something written down so that companies and individuals know about such things.

Oh, wait... .gov.uk....

they would be illegal in a work context as far as i know, under health and safety laws.

www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/toilets.htm

The relevant legislation is the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. Regulation 20, Sanitary conveniences, states:

Suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences shall be provided at readily accessible places.
Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), sanitary conveniences shall not be suitable unless -
    the rooms containing them are adequately ventilated and lit;
    they and the rooms containing them are kept in a clean and orderly condition; and
    separate rooms containing conveniences are provided for men and women except where and so far as each convenience is in a separate room the door of which is capable of being secured from inside.

but don't think that applies to providing toilets to the public.

@SamphiretheStickerist

There are some very specific the about that and full height doors and hand basins inside cubicles are just 2 of them.

We really need something written down so that companies and individuals know about such things.

Oh, wait... .gov.uk....

I found a call for evidence but not actual current policy

Surely if the workplace laws apply to people visiting/burgling your home, surely they also apply to customers using toilets?

This was a restaurant? The licensing authority would have requirements. It could cost them their alcohol or public entertainments licence.

@sanluca

It is sex discrimination towards women as they can't use the urinals so women have less facilities available to them than men have.

So is it discrimination in every case where the women's loos has fewer cubicles than the men's has urinals? Because this is extremely common.

Unisex loos are not illegal, no.

Unisex loos are perfectly legal. Loos like the one in your house, small cafes, or in bigger places marked with the wheelchair symbol. Not illegal.
Op isn’t describing a Unisex, single person, loo. Op is describing a multi-use mixed sex loo.

I'd be interested to know this too been to 2 activity centres recently that had two cubicles next to each other & were unisex. They had huge gaps around the bottom.

They'd have to pass planning, building control regulations etc.

I was in the Science Museum recently - mixed sex loos with huge gaps at top and bottom of cubicles (like a couple of feet at the top) and shared basins. Would be interested to know if these were illegal!

Just found this on a website about building regulations:
As such, although they should provide separate facilities where possible, organisations are not required by law to provide single-sex facilities if the toilet is in a room (not a cubicle) with a lockable door

Can someone please point me to this clearly defined in law or guidance so I can write to these companies? I don't women's place letter quite makes that clear.

@Sofasogood1 You think that is as bad as it gets? Here's just a snip from a DM article about one woman's experience at the Playhouse Theatre. (I highly recommend reading the entire article)
snip

So it was with some horror that, earlier this month, I found myself in a West End theatre having quite the opposite experience.

That night, I was expecting to see Cabaret. I certainly didn't anticipate that, during the interval, I'd also be 'treated' to an impromptu performance of Privates on Parade.

But, thanks to the Playhouse Theatre's gender-neutral toilet policy, that's exactly what I got — front-row tickets to the unwelcome spectacle of a row of embarrassed men relieving themselves at urinals. Opera glasses were not required.

Why? There are no longer any Ladies' toilets at the Playhouse Theatre.

Facilities once reserved for women are labelled simply 'Toilets' and open to both sexes. The only other option are labelled 'Urinals'.

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10562439/Womens-privacy-flushed-away-Mother-says-erosion-treasured-sanctuary.html

@sanluca

It is sex discrimination towards women as they can't use the urinals so women have less facilities available to them than men have.

How would they use the urinals? 🤔

Surely this area is segregated only due to the fact that men get their genitals out to urinate whilst women don't due to being unable to wee standing up and thus requiring a cubicle.

'Women need twice as many toilets as men, say public health experts' -
www.cnn.com/2019/05/23/health/rsph-toilet-report-scli-intl-gbr/index.html

fairplayforwomen.com/toilet-provision-in-the-uk/

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/toilet-provision-for-men-and-women-call-for-evidence/toilet-provision-for-men-and-women-call-for-evidence

@RobynMyEmployer Urinals at the PH theatre not segregated. Women have "no choice" but to pass men using urinals to reach the cubicles.

This is the problem. Male only provision is available without a similar female only provision, therefore there is discrimination on the basis of sex, as more services are being provided to males than to females.

@GCITC

This is the problem. Male only provision is available without a similar female only provision, therefore there is discrimination on the basis of sex, as more services are being provided to males than to females.

Sorry that was to Robyn.

I've seen unisex toilets and a separate mens toilet in my local Tesco. It meant there were urinals to wee all over and toilet seats for men to wee all over. I won't use them again.

[quote DontLikeCrumpets]@RobynMyEmployer Urinals at the PH theatre not segregated. Women have "no choice" but to pass men using urinals to reach the cubicles.[/quote]
Totallly wrong.

@GCITC

This is the problem. Male only provision is available without a similar female only provision, therefore there is discrimination on the basis of sex, as more services are being provided to males than to females.

But given that women don't use urinals, isn't this a bit like complaining about the lack of male tampons? Or am I not getting it?

@bythere What do you mean by totally wrong? Do you mean the facts are wrong or do you mean unisex toilets are morally wrong?