this week a letter was sent to all staff at my company concerning the toilets; the site administrator had to virtually seek legal advice before sending it. it concerns what has been delicately phrased as "inappropriate use", leading to cleaning and damage issues.
in simple terms, this is a case of 1960s style facilities meeting certain etiquettes, and the two being incompatible.
i'm no employment law expert so i ask:- is the company correct in expecting all employees to use the facilities as they currently exist and putting same in writing, or would the correct legal response be to provide multicultural facilities?
//I'm still in the dark about what you really ean. ''inappropriate use'' //
in the context of the letter sent, it means effluent going everywhere but down the pan because the user is facing sideways, and seats and pans being broken because heavy boots are brought into contact with them.
"....inappropriate use..." is those who wipe excrement on seats, handles, walls & floor of toilets. Ive known it happen in solobrious venues, by envious users.
I agree with Eddie, I have been in several public toilets where something similar is on display. Only difference is the X went across the entire picture. If it is OK for a service station why not for your Company.
//If it is OK for a service station why not for your Company. //
aiming information or instructions at the public, ie no-one in particular, is one thing. aiming at a particular section of your workforce - with all the undertones of discrimination that may entail - is quite different.
as stated, it took the company more than a week to get the wording of the letter as they wanted.
It was a daily occurrence to find urine on the seats of the 'Ladies' Loos.
I can only assume many women who use the 'hover' method do not have a very good aim. I found 'solids' on the floor of the cubicles in the Ladies on many occasions, but never in the Gents. Other cleaners I talked to agree with me that Ladies Loos were far worse than Gents.
Perhaps the company ought to get some posters made up with pictorial explanations of proper toilet etiquette/rules together with written explanations in multiple languages?
And also firm explanations of the penalties which will be applied for contravening these rules.
Are you sure your company was aiming this at people who like to face a different way? Every so often some miscreant smears stuff about or something equally vile where I work and we have to put a carefully worded briefing out - and I can guarantee we don't have any muslim staff (if that's what this is all about).
Look at the the poster on here, could not be more inclusive, the only parts of a body shown are clearly of a white person, but it includes the squatting problem.
I recall many years ago when I was Secretary to a Job Evaluation Committee who were establishing 'Bench Mark' jobs and was present when the Committee interviewed a Toilet Attendant at a North Eastern Port . During the course of the interview the T A was asked (a standard question to all) if he worked in Dirty Conditions and he replied along the lines of " Yes, especially when we have a Curry Ship in port.". He then explained that Asiatics are inclined to put their feet on the toilet seat and in a crouched position leave a deposit on the actual seat.
the only obligation is: that employers provide clean working facilities, one set for women the other for men. the only time a muslim requires to face east (mecca) is when they pray 5 times a day from what i understand this requires foot washing before prayer, responsible employers would provide these seperate from toilets. very often the reason for poor facilities is the workers who abuse them