My boss won't let me use the washroom at work?

[Anonymous]

isn't that illegal? how can you deny an employee access to the staff washroom. well she hasn't officially said i couldn't use one of them as there is ( 2 ). the last time i used one a couple weeks ago she went off on me and said i wasn't following guidelines and wouldn't even be allowed to work anywhere if i wasn't following health rules.

but her idea of guidelines was using a specific hand towel , spraying and wiping the toilet seat with a strange vinegar/ cleaning mixture and all i did was go for a quick piss , i didn't even sit down on the toilet seat or like do much of anything at the time

so i haven't really used it since other than to wash hands , i'm only there part time so just using other washrooms at lunch break if possible

[burlen]

I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing difficulties with using the washroom at work. Denying an employee access to a washroom is indeed not appropriate, and in many jurisdictions, it could be illegal. Employers have a responsibility to provide reasonable access to clean and sanitary restroom facilities for their employees.

Have a private conversation with your boss, and politely express your concerns about the washroom restrictions. Explain that you understand the importance of following health guidelines but emphasise that access to a washroom is essential for your well-being during work hours.

If you feel uncomfortable discussing this with your boss directly, consider reaching out to your human resources department to discuss your concerns and seek guidance on how to handle the situation.

[Asker]

i'm pretty sure its mandatory here to provide a staff washroom if your business has more than 1 employee and that you cannot deny access. i'm not sure if not following her own personal guidelines would be grounds for denying access to a staff washroom. unless i had obviously done something inapproiate in the washroom or left a dirty mess

but the day i used it , was totally clean , you wouldn't of even known i had been in there

[Hulk_kitty]

it really depends how much you are using the washroom. really you don't need to use the washroom that much, unless you have a medical problems, which then you could take them court.

If you really need go to the toilet for a pee or a shit, then they can't stop you, and if they sake you, you can take them court. But you have to be careful like I said, depending your circumstances and your country you live in. If you are not using the washroom that much like only 2-3 times a day, then I would takes notes of every thing was said and done, so you have evidence for unfair dismissal.

Its about reasonable, and what grounds you need to go the toilet that much, and any medical issues. Going to toilet 3 times a day, and overall you have spent nearly 2 hours in the washroom, that could sake, and you have no case. but on other hand you only spent 20 minutes in the washroom all day, you have a good case against them

[Hulk_kitty]

Employers cannot stop workers from taking a toilet break. However, you can manage the number, length, and impact these breaks have on your business

[Hulk_kitty]

There’s no law that specifies the number of bathroom breaks you must allow. However, you’re able to restrict this—within reason.

Under laws on toilet breaks at work, what’s thought of as reasonable will vary from job to job.

For example, if the employee works within client-facing industries (such as a call center worker), or on a production line, you may require the employee to wait for a colleague to relieve their position.

For toilet breaks at work, UK law doesn’t have any restrictions. But you can create some for your business.

Such as limiting bathroom visits to three times a day, it’s important that any change to company rules on this be clearly highlighted within a fully visible and accessible company policy.