Unions are demanding greater access to toilets as a new study shows workers are forced to use bags, bottles, buckets and bushes due to a lack of facilities.
Released to coincide with World Toilet Day today (19 November), the findings from the TUC revealed that nearly three in five workers (57.8%) do not always have the chance to use lavatories when needed.
Limited access during shifts and a lack of breaks were among the reasons cited by respondents to the survey, which included train, bus and delivery drivers, warehouse workers disciplined for taking time out for toilet breaks and teachers of children who could not be left unattended.
Just under half (45%) of those polled said access to a toilet while working is not always available, while a quarter (25%) who do have access report they are usually poorly functioning, unclear or not at all fit for use.
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According to the TUC, the lack of toilet facilities is concerning not only because it denies employees dignity, but also endangers their health by posing risks of urinary tract infections, incontinence and kidney disease among those who ‘hold it in’.
It is calling on employers to improve employees’ access to facilities, insisting they should allow longer breaks when necessary and partnering with local authorities and businesses to improve access for mobile workers.
The union also wants toilet needs to be included in health and safety risk assessments and the provision of reasonable adjustments to meet toilet needs to form part of the legal duties to disabled workers under the Equality Act.
TUC assistant general secretary Kate Bell said: “We all deserve dignity at work. But carrying a bucket or a bottle around as your toilet is not dignified for anyone. And holding out when you need to go can lead to health problems.”
She highlighted that toilet access can be particularly important for some, including pregnant workers or those with health conditions that may require frequent or fast access to a toilet.
Bell added: “It might not be something a person likes to talk about, so employers should consider how staff with specific toilet needs can have them met with dignity and confidentiality.”
Meanwhile, union Unite has warned the lack of toilet access is fast becoming an industrial issue, saying bus companies in particular need to take action.
It says the problem has been a focus in several recent disputes and is causing rising anger and resentment among bus drivers, with the union now working with employment lawyers at Thompsons over their legal rights.
According to Unite, it aims to continue further with its campaign next year and “will use all industrial and legal avenues at its disposal to tackle the problem which is endemic in the sector”.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The right to decent toilets while at work should be a given. It defies belief that in the 21st century, workers are still being denied access to decent toilets. Employers should be in no shadow of doubt. Not giving workers proper access to toilets is totally unacceptable. Unite is ready to take on any employer that won’t meet this basic requirement with the whole force of the union.”
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