Co-op says Supreme Court ruling is “a step back”.

[MsPoppoff]

So says a statement from its female boss (my boss).
“This feels like a huge step back, and I want to reassure all our colleagues impacted by the ruling, that you have our support, that you have my personal support, and that we’re doing everything we can to explore how we can do right by our colleagues, stay true to our values…

“Our policies have not changed…. colleagues can continue to use toilets and changing facilities in accordance with their gender…”

My main thought is if they're willing to so openly announce their intention to break the law over employee provision of toilets, what else are they breaking the law over?

Food safety?
Store hygiene?
Consumer advertising?
Labelling of allergens - staff toilets labelled 'women' may contain nuts whilst lying to those using them, so I'm assuming the same must be true of their products.

The list is long - why would anyone trust them to comply with the law - they've stated clearly they think they know better.

To any female co-op staff, if you want to follow the Darlington nurses example, please know I will donate to the crowdfund. I suspect you'd hit your target pretty quickly. And there will be lawyers lining up to take your case.

Disappointing. I sometimes use our local co-op, luckily I have alternatives… until they are forced to respect women’s rights

As will I.

If I was still working there then I would
I left about 3 years ago

Posted on X earlier today. Seems like they are making a point.

There was woman on here a few years ago whose husband was a Co Op employee who'd had cancer. They were constantly on at him to find out when he'd be back at work. But if he'd claimed trans ness the trans healthcare policy would have said 'take all the time you need.'

It's just virtue signaling and bravado. They will come to their senses soon enough.

I work for them too. Am so disappointed in this announcement 😔. Tempted to comment along the lines of how great it is that we’ll be investing in 3rd spaces…

Is this the same Co-op who surely have better things to do this weekend fixing the PR disaster they already had where they've lost all their customer and staff data to hackers?

Is someone over there having a competition over who can manage to damage the company most before they get fired?

On a bank holiday weekend too. Their lawyers must be having a great time. Plenty of overtime available right now.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crkx3vy54nzo
Cyber criminals have told BBC News their hack against Co-op is far more serious than the company previously admitted.

Hackers contacted the BBC with proof they had infiltrated IT networks and stolen huge amounts of customer and employee data.

After being approached on Friday, a Co-op spokesperson said the hackers "accessed data relating to a significant number of our current and past members".

Co-op had previously said that it had taken "proactive measures" to fend off hackers and that it was only having a "small impact" on its operations.

It also assured the public that there was "no evidence that customer data was compromised".

The Co-op seem to have issues with telling the truth it would seem.

Perhaps they thought they could throw a trans dead cat, so everyone would get distracted by this other story.

Lots of people at Co-Op clearly about to lose their jobs...

Just another way that the Coop are a massive disappointment. Their origin was providing good food at fair prices, and yet they’re now just a pretty expensive convenience store now that is - as far as I can see - generally only trading in better off areas. And the app discounts (such as they are - 20p here or there is barely worth bothering with) are almost always for ultra-processed branded shit.

Shame on you, Coop. We expected better.

I'm in.

Six or seven years ago I went to buy their over priced strawberries until I read the notice over the display. Buying the strawberries would enable the Coop to help trans women to access the right fitting clothes or some such.
I remember coming back empty handed and seeing my neighbour, telling him about it. It was all new to me, paying over the odds for food while the supermarket gives a portion of my money to a charity of their choice.
I flipping hate the hypocritical coop for all manner of reasons, this was the first of them.
They were well ahead of the current craziness.

When reading these policies- I find myself really imagining how the messaging affects the sense of self.

Alongside all the media (and political) messaging of how you are the most oppressed and vulnerable in society; the messaging is compounded by these policies, which further communicate how vulnerable you are - and how in need you are of so many dispensations beyond what others are given.

It's so stark- just in this one section even-how far from equal rights this has been. Both sex and disability just shushed away.

What is tacitly communicated is that you are the prime concern.

In a way, Stonewall have created a mass narcissitic/co-dependent dynamic.

And I do actually feel sympathy for what really must be such a shock- to feel as if the rug has suddenly and inexplicably been pulled away from under your feet.

We’ll never expect you or ask you to use the disabled toilets instead, but of course if you feel most comfortable using them, then that’s fine.'

No it bloody well is NOT fine for able-bodied people to use the accessible toilets!
It shows a total disregard for disability rights - the spaces disabled people had to campaign for for decades just handed over to able-bodied people so they can feel more 'comfortable'.

It shows such a cavalier attitude to established rights in general, and such an insulting attitude to disabled people - we'll respect your rights until we find a group we think are literally marginalised, and then you can wait outside the only toilet you can are able to use because transfolx are inside feeling comfortable..

. Both sex and disability just shushed away. as BabaYagasHouse said.

I do wonder if some of the organisations that have said that transfolk can still use whichever toilet they want are playing a game. It’s easy to say at the moment that nothing has changed, and then over the course of the coming days do a reverse ferret and say that, actually, they are being forced to follow the law, we have no choice, EHRC guidance insists, we won’t be insured etc. A bit of hand-wringing will ensue, but they will have got some brownie points from the TRAs rather than enduring the shitstorm involved in immediately announcing they will follow the law. Cowardly, weaselly bollocks, but a plausible PR strategy to those that still think it’s reasonable to disregard women’s rights in the name of wokery.

Have you emailed that message to your MP
and the Police

Unfortunately the reality is that accessible toilets have never ever been just for the use of disabled people

Ever

Its a complete misunderstanding

When we design buildings and calculate the toilet WC requirements we include the numbers of accessible toilets in that entire calculation. To deny then the use of accessible toilets to others means there are less facilities for everyone else in number terms. This particularly impacts women as we need the toilets more and spend 3 x longer having a pee than men.

So no
Accessible toilets have been designed to be accessible. That’s all

Further more.
One man. An architect who was disabled campaigned for accessible facilities on his own. He started designing them on his own and had them introduced into buildings as a requirement on his own. The entire community of disabled people that keep saying they fought long and hard for these facilities is also completely incorrect.

No point emailing the police, it's a civil not a criminal matter.

Dh and I have always thought we’d open an account with the Co op. I always thought they were a bank for the people making good choices to help the world.

Thanks for this thread OP
We won’t be opening that account
Im disgusted

Email to my MP has has been sent off

ArabellaScott · Yesterday 21:28

''If you decide to undergo medical procedures or interventions related to your gender identity, then we’ll support you through this. We’ll give you a reasonable amount of paid time off work for appointments to do with the transition process – so talk to your manager and agree the time you need. We’ll treat this separately to time off for sickness absence. There’s more information in the Dental and Medical Appointments Policy.
We’ll also support you when you return to work after surgery, which could include a phased return to work. Talk to your manager about your needs.'

I wonder if they give the same sort of concession to people having their lips done, tattoos, nose jobs and the like? Would it not be discrimination if they don't?

Much as I love the Co-op, it is as captured as the rest of the commercial world. Because when you rely on selling stuff to the public, you do what the loudest and scariest bullies demand.
I hope the prospect of heavy fines is even scarier. I just wish the management cared as much about their female staff and customers as they do about the scary men.

I'd be very tempted to "doublecheck" that the email hasn't been sent by the hackers, as publicly admitting that you were planning on running your business in an unlawful manner isn't a good idea.

That’s a disgrace, Captain. I’m sorry to hear about your gyne problems and pain, exacerbated by lousy treatment from what should be a caring employer.

Sounds as if they’re more sympathetic to people having cosmetic surgery for ‘affirmation’.

So next time anyone needs time off for surgery (whether health-related or cosmetic) they should explain that it’s gender-affirming, but refuse to give any details because it’s triggering. And asking for a doctor’s note would of course be literal violence.

Ditto.
The Co-op is also bloody expensive. I like the ethos of keeping necessary but unprofitable shops open, but I strongly suspect that inefficiency is a major drag on their finances.