Dunny Dignity
“Just treat us the same as everyone else. Everyone is so busy, we are here to just get the job done. But please get a toilet for women on site!” – Holly
Here’s the bare minimum you’ll need for health, safety, and legal compliance when you welcome women workers on site.
- A clean toilet
- With a lockable door
- And a bin
- And nearby handwashing facilities
No-one's after gold taps and silk, but there are good reasons to pay attention to toilets on site.
Bradley Corp supplies commercial washroom accessories. A survey they did showed that 89% of people rate their employer by the quality of their work toilets.
RED HOT TIP
If you don’t care about providing decent toilets, your employees might not care as much about doing a decent job.
On the flip side, job satisfaction and productivity go hand-in-hand. Workers with easy access to decent toilets will be happier. Happy employees are better employees.
Now imagine a customer or client visits your site and needs to use the loo! The buck stops with you if toilets are dirty or not working properly, but if you can instil a bit of portaloo pride on-site, it can be everyone’s responsibility.
We’ll leave the last word on toilets to Wellington tradeswoman, Holly.
Women are capable, women are human. Just treat us the same as everyone else. Everyone is so busy, we are here to just get the job done. But please get a toilet for women on site!
What about periods?
Chances are you’ll never have a conversation with your female employees about periods. Women are well-practised at managing them. Some women use pads, some use tampons, some use a menstrual cup, and some use a mix of all of them.
“Women have survived doing all kinds of jobs on their periods; surgeons, pilots — they can do the trades too.”
— Colleen. Wellington Focus Group attendee.
You do need to provide suitable toilet facilities. This means making sure that there is more than a urinal on-site, that any loo has a bin in it and handwashing facilities are close by. It’s your responsibility to make sure it is kept clean and the bin is emptied.
Cool Facts: Despite being a basic necessity for women, period products are taxed at a higher rate than any men’s personal hygiene products. Some employers are now providing period products for staff for free!