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Original poster

Mixed changing room

94 replies

cakedup · 26/02/2019 19:26

My friend works in chain coffee shop. There is only one changing room.

One time she arrived and the men were already changing in the room so she waited until they finished and ended up being 3 minutes late for her shift. The manager told her if she was late again she'd get the sack. She told her she could have got changed in the toilets but these were very busy with customers. So the manager told her she is an adult, don't make a fuss and just get changed with the men!

This would be especially uncomfortable for her given the fact two of the men there are pestering her and she is not interested. Well one of them is no longer pestering her but giving her the cold shoulder because she rejected his advances.

This can't be right can it? I suppose they can ask her to arrive in plenty of time to allow for the changing room to be free but she is going straight from another job to this one so it's not always possible.

OP posts:

RockyFlintstone · 26/02/2019 19:29

So the manager told her she is an adult, don't make a fuss and just get changed with the men!

I'm pretty sure that is illegal.

Periperisauce1 · 26/02/2019 19:30

It’s not ideal no but she could get changed at her other job

TheInvestigator · 26/02/2019 19:30

Can't she change before she gets there? And if she can't then she should have changed in the toilet. There are options other than being late to the shift.

But also, it's a chain. She should contact the area manager to get clarification on this rule that she "must grow up and change with the men".

Original poster

cakedup · 26/02/2019 19:44

But why should she get changed in a toilet? Toilets are for pissing and shitting not getting changed.

OP posts:

Periperisauce1 · 26/02/2019 19:47

She shouldn’t have to. There is one changing room though. She either

Gets there early
Changes at her 1st work place
Changes in toilet cubicle

If she doesn’t want to share with the men.

I don’t blame her either. But unless there is space what else can she do?

CosmicCanary · 26/02/2019 19:48

Sex segregation is enshrined in law when it comes to changing and toileting facilities.

Her company is breaking the law.

ltk · 26/02/2019 19:49

She shouldn't get changed in the toilet. She should refuse to change with the men, or i the toilet, and ask her manager for another solution. Arrive earlier? Change before arriving? Set times for different sexes?

TheInvestigator · 26/02/2019 19:49

Ffs, people change in toilets all the time. I've worked in about 7 different retail jobs (bookshops, music shops etc) and I've never worked in one with a staff changing room. They had staff break rooms, and staff toilets. So you either had to get changed before or in the toilet or in the staff room infront of everyone. A place of employment doesn't need to provide segregated changing facilities unless they have a policy that uniform must not be worn outside of work so they must change in work.

If she got there first, she's have had the changing room and the men would have had to wait or use the toilet.

Not everything is sexism. This isn't. The managers comment was stupid, but the set up isn't wrong. She needs to be on time and in her uniform; how she does that is her responsibility and not her employers.

CosmicCanary · 26/02/2019 19:49

Peri why is it that your solution totally relies on the woman accommodating men?

TheInvestigator · 26/02/2019 19:50

@CosmicCanary

No it isn't. Plenty of places only have one toilet. You'd have to close every single small, independent business with just a single toilet.

ivykaty44 · 26/02/2019 19:53

Why can she get changed at home and come to work ready?

TheInvestigator · 26/02/2019 19:53

@CosmicCanary

If she had arrived before the men, then they'd be the ones having to accommodate her. This isn't a big sexit, men more important issue.

It's a business with one changing area, which they don't even need to have. It's their responsibility to be dressed for work and most people do that before getting to work. If you havnt then you use what is available, and most of the time that's just a toilet cubicle.

Raspberry88 · 26/02/2019 19:58

most people do that before getting to work.

Actually that's not true. Plenty of jobs that you're encouraged to change at work. I've had a couple of catering type jobs where they didn't want staff travelling in wearing work clothes for hygiene reasons.
Not only is this not good enough, I'd also be pretty concerned about her managers attitude. What if she came to him with an issue, especially if she complained about being bothered by these men at work. Doesn't sound like he'd be supportive. Is there anyone higher up she could speak to about this?

daisychain01 · 26/02/2019 19:59

You seem way too invested in all the details.

It doesn't sound like an idea set up but surely there's a cubicle she can change in, you know where you actually go to the toilet. I'm presuming it isn't just a urinal and the women are forced to stoop down?

It's called being adaptable and using a bit of initiative.

Plus she should give herself longer than 3 minutes to change.

CosmicCanary · 26/02/2019 19:59

THIS IS A CHANGING ROOM CAN YOU NOT READ?

OP states there is 1 changing room and public toilets.
Therefore staff are expected to change in the changing room provided. It is not single sex. The OP has a right to single sex the company is breaking the law.

But gey men rule women should just arrive earlier or wait

Raspberry88 · 26/02/2019 20:03

Plus she should give herself longer than 3 minutes to change.

Maybe she can't...what if she comes from another job, or only one bus or train will get here there.

Also the OP didn't say that she wouldn't get changed in the toilets... just that they were busy with customers so she couldn't!!!

TheInvestigator · 26/02/2019 20:07

CosmicCanary, a changing room does not need to be single sex. It can be for use by anyone. Or do they need to shut down all the swimming pools in South Lanarkshire because they all have unisex changing villages? Do they need to shut down the indeoent clothing shop on my high street because it only has one unisex changing cubicle?

They do not need to provide different rooms. They just need to be able to use the room separately. That means the issue is getting there with enough time to change (which the men seemed to manage) or bringing in a time limit to ensure no one sits in there mucking around taking up all the time. But they havnt broken the law and they don't need to build another room.

The managers comment is a different matter and out of order but that's an individual who said something out of line not the company doing something illegal or wrong.

CosmicCanary · 26/02/2019 20:12

Actually yes a changing room by law does need to be single sex unless it is individual changing rooms as in closed cubicals.

All changing rooms that are communal by law are single sex.

Read up before you spout shite.

TheInvestigator · 26/02/2019 20:13

If she'd been there first, then it could have been the man on here saying he was told off for being 3 minutes late, told to change in the toilets or to grow up and change with the women. It's not an attack on a woman as it could have been an attack on the men if she'd been faster.

This isn't a sexism problem. This isn't a company putting the men first. Coffee shops don't usually have loads of space out the back, it's just a business making the best of it and providing a room to change in if it's needed. We all have to make do at work for some things and waiting for the changing room is one of those things. The only issue is the manager being unforgiving with the time it took, so her response should be to confront that.

TheInvestigator · 26/02/2019 20:21

The question is, is the room a big changing room with lockers etc which then should be single sex, or is it just a small room used for changing which a few people end up going into at once but really is more of a single use room, so just go in, lock door, get changed then come out and put stuff away in the staff room.

RockyFlintstone · 26/02/2019 20:27

As Cosmic says, unisex changing rooms at swimming pools have to have plenty of changing cubicles.

It is illegal to only provide one space in which a woman would be forced to get undressed in front of a man.

The managers comment about 'not making a fuss' is actually pretty concerning.

TheInvestigator · 26/02/2019 20:31

The government guidelines for changing rooms in the workplace state

"Separate USE of changing facilities must be provided for males and females".

Separate USE, not separate rooms. They can't make them change at the same time. They need to be allowed exclusive use of the room whilst changing. So the problem is with the managers comment, and as I said in my first post, the woman should go to the area manager to question this. But fighting her employer for different rooms when they don't need to provide 2 rooms? No.

CosmicCanary · 26/02/2019 20:32

Women need to put up and shut up Rocky

TheInvestigator · 26/02/2019 20:35

Cosmic, the law is not what you're saying it is.

They need to be allowed to use the room separately. And they only need to provide proper changing facilities if company policy states they cannot wear their work clothes outside of work. If that's not policy, and the staff are just making that choice, then the company don't need to provide a changing room at all. The manager was out of line with her comment. But if she was in the room changing, the men would be made to wait. It's just whoever arrives first, which doesn't target or discimrnate against either sex.

The managers comment is separate and wont be in line with company policy. That's where the issue is, and that should be brought to the attention of the company.

CosmicCanary · 26/02/2019 20:37

And they weren't.

The OPs friend was punished.
No allotted time or provision was made for separate sex facilities.
Therefore the company is breaking the law. My original statement is correct.

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