New Job wobble-the toilets

[CurlyTop1980]

This is gonna sound so weird and this has made me want to leave.

I've been working in a private school for about 2 and a half months now. It's fine. Part time, 3 days a week. I'm a DSL. Myself and the DSL manager (there's a few campuses and she has over sight of them all) sit in the admin building. After half term I was on training for most of the last 2 weeks and I was only in the office once. I've been all over the campus. But last week the manager approached me and said that the cleaners are unhappy at the state of the toilets and if its me who has been dirting these to stop doing it. I was busy and didn't really take notice of her. But then over the weekend this really annoyed me. I was on campus yesterday and I asked her about this. And she was clear the cleaners came directly to her and accused me messing up the loos. I don't know what this means. I barely use the loos in there and a few weeks ago I noticed some loo roll on the floor and I took some clean loo roll and picked this up and flushed it away. Apart from that the toilets seem clean.

The building we sit in has a large conference room and lots of visitors going and coming. Why do they think its me? The HR Team sit there also and all new candidates come for interview/induction also.

I'm really put out by this. It's making me really uncomfortable and I'm thinking do I really want to remain working somewhere like this!?

Dh says I should just ignore it. But I'm really festering. What should I do??

If for whatever reason the cleaner made an accusation she has to deal
the problem is the cleaner not who dealt with it

personally I’d challenge the cleaner

The dirt toilets accusation is often used against (usually) Asian people by those holding bigoted views.
Other than that, if it is a toilet that everybody else only uses foe number ones and you arrive and start using it for number twos then I suppose they would notice. I know that the counter argument would be "Everyone needs to go sometimes" but I rarely (if ever) even wee outside of my own house, even when I am out for fifteen hours.

I was going to suggest this too.

If a cleaner objects to anyone using it for a ‘no.2 as you put it, then she’s in the wrong job.

That made me laugh. I've never dine a number 2 in it.

I think it's Designated Safeguarding Lead. But not 100%.

Sorry OP but it does annoy me when people use acronyms and expect everyone to know them, especially when it's to do with work as not everyone works in the same field!

Anyway to get back to the toilet.....

I can see why you’re annoyed/uncomfortable. I would email your manager about it.

I think you have a boss that has been told about the loo and that <whoever it is> seems to think it’s you.
However, she is feeling so uncomfortable about talking about loos/poo and whatever ‘a mess’ can mean, she can’t bring herself to have a frank conversation about it.
So she told you and run away….

I agree with another poster, ask fir a meeting with her. Tell her you are glad she was happy to let you know about the issue. But that over the last 2 months, you’ve been all over the place and have hardly use the loos there . Plus, you would always leave the loo as others would expect to find them, clean etc…
Maybe even mention that you noticed once that there was some loo roll in the floor when you came in. You’ve cleaned it out. Is that what the mess she us referring to is? Someone who leaves toilet paper all over?

Then move on.

DSL???? These acronyms are getting out of hand. There is a thread on this problem. It is getting very annoying.

Well good for you.
But people with IBS for example will be using the loo ‘fir number 2’ whilst out and about
AS THEY ARE ENTITLED TO
I mean if anyone has an issue with someone having a poo in a toilet, they need to give their head a wobble. And yes I include toilets at work at a friend’s house and people in general so coworkers, cleaners etc…
Thats what toilets are for!!

Of course they are entitled to use it and certain medical requirements make it necessary. However, the thread is about the perceptions of others towards your use of the toilet (whether grounded in reality or simply prejudice). The OP stated that she has only used it for wee which makes me think that it could be to do with racism.

Toilets are there to be used.
Cleaners are employed to clean.

Perhaps they need to be reminded of those facts.

If you hold in your wee for 15 hours because you don't want to use a communal toilet you have serious issues.

It's her. She's leaving the loos in a mess 😂

Yes probably. Thanks for all your advice. And sorry about the acronym!

Yes you are right about what it stands for.

Wow!!!

Who cares how the OP phrased something in a post on an internet message board. Not myself, that's for sure.

Oh wow. 🤣🤣🤣

I'd be tempted to send your manager (and the cleaners!) photographs of how clean I'd left the loos after I'd used them every time, to be honest - they'll sharp get the message. (Yes, passive-aggressive modes of behavior are a specialty in my family, largely due to situations like this over the years....)

Thing is, you don't know how the cleaners actually raised it. It may be that your manager hasn't handled it very well, a better way would have been to say something along the lines of, "Oh, the cleaners have just mentioned that sometimes the loos are a bit messier than they were expecting, and they've asked us to just ask everyone to check after they've been in there?" or similar, and send this, as others have mentioned, to ALL staff. Or, put notices up along the lines of "Please leave these loos in a clean and tidy state after you've used them". In fact I'd be tempted to stick one up myself, on the back of every ruddy cubicle.

Good job those cleaners don't work in a hospital or care home, mind, they'd be having kittens on a daily basis....

On a serious note, I'd start keeping a diary of these kinds of things, including dates, times, and details. I'm not joking. Just in case it escalates or more of these microaggressions against you occur. And yes, if you're not in a union already, you might want to think about joining one.

Who pissed you off this morning?

This is the post of the day for me 😂 zero relevance to the question posted.

I never said that I hold it in because I don't want to use the toilets. I find that I do not need to wee frequently unless I am at home which is very different.

Thats terrible. I bet you feel self conscious now everytime you have to go to the loo. Your manager sounds awful!

I agree that if you are non-white this is often a stereotype. Tedious for you and I am sorry to hear this is still going on. I’d Not only send the email or have the meeting but be aware of what might be driving it.

There's always one person who picks up on the most innocuous part of an OP but this was another level altogether.