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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Help me sort this toilets and changing rooms thing out

9 replies

WookeyHole · 27/07/2022 15:02

Right ladies. Now is the time to act. My very large and completely Stonewalled organisation launched a new transgender inclusion policy this year.

It includes that trans employees may use the toilets of their choice as per their gender identity. If any employee raises a concern that a trans employee can use these loos then the employee with the concern is free to use alternative facilities.

Wrt to the gym changing room, the same applies but the employee with the concern should speak to HR.

On each floor there are M&F loos and what was originally a disabled loo but since has been rebranded accessible with the mishmashed M&F symbol as signage.

The M&F loos each have private cubicles off a sink and hand drier area. The accessible loos are one loo and sink in a separate room.

The gym changing room has cubicle toilets and showers, I think one changing cubicle and most people just change in the open area by the lockers. There are only M&F changing rooms.

I am so angry there is no safe female space left I want to complain. I have been at the company a long time. I have cried in those loos as a twenty something over being dumped, as a thirty something when I miscarried and a forty something when my dad died.

I am nervous and not well versed enough about what's protected within the equality act. Do I have a right to a female loo, or are they ok to tell me to use the accessible one?

OP posts:
RandomlyThrownTogether · 27/07/2022 15:25

I don't know about the EA, but:

www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/workplace-facilities/health-safety.htm

And there are planning regs about this, too. Those may vary slightly depending on your LA.

Thelnebriati · 27/07/2022 15:30

If you are in the UK they are planning to break the law. In the workplace, single sex or single occupancy (accessible) facilities are the default, and a toilet is not suitable for use by women unless it contains a sanitary waste bin.

RandomlyThrownTogether · 27/07/2022 15:31

Info on EA here:

sex-matters.org/where-sex-matters/single-sex-services/

WookeyHole · 27/07/2022 15:38

It's in England.

The accessible loo has a sanitary bin.

Do I have any right to a female loo or have they ticked the box by saying I can use the accessible which would be private to me once I'm in it?

OP posts:
334bu · 27/07/2022 15:47

Do you have employees from the Muslim community? What provision are they making for them?

WookeyHole · 27/07/2022 18:23

@334bu Nothing specific so I assume like anyone else with concerns they use the accessible loos and I've no idea what for the changing room.

This was launched buried in a document which is aimed at the Trans community as it covers all aspects of transitioning at work, what support to expect etc. It was written by HR and one TW based at another site. I don't think 99.9% of employees will even have looked at it.

There are no openly TW at my site so it has not yet been used.

OP posts:
334bu · 27/07/2022 18:35

Maybe ask if they have done an Equality Impact Assessment on the other protected characteristics. If women have to use accessible toilet, this will impact disabled, if Muskim women are now prevented from using changing rooms, then they are being excluded from the gym.

howdoesatoastermaketoast · 28/07/2022 09:55

@334bu Equality Impact assessment question is a good idea.

CraggyIslandTouristBoard · 28/07/2022 10:07

I was in a similar ish situation, and challenged my work (albeit anonymously). Original thread was deleted but if you scroll down on this one you’ll see I pasted the text of my complaint to work which might help. Unlike in the public sector private companies aren’t obliged to do a Privacy Impact Assessment unfortunately but it’s still good practice and well worth banging on about.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4573388-that-gc-grenade-that-i-chucked-at-work?page=2

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