Posted By Martin Devlin
We have a problem in that in one of our factories, the employees continue to abuse the toilet facilities provided. So much so that the cleaners will no longer enter them. On a number of occasions, we have brought in outside cleaning contractors to give them a thorough cleaning at a cost to the company, but within a couple of weeks, they are a disgrace again. Graffiti on the walls, blocked urinals, stained bowls and wash basins, etc, etc.
Employees have a responsibility not to misuse these facilities provided but it is almost impossible to identify any individual responsible for this abuse and we do not have the manpower to stand guard on these facilities all day.These are grown men - not children.
I know we have to provide these facilities and that we have to ensure that they are maintained, etc, but what can be done when the facilities are constantly abused in this manner. Once again, we are having them professionally cleaned (steam hosed, etc) I am then getting them painted (again), the walls will be painted black to remove possible future graffiti, paper towels will be removed and dryers put in. Is there anything else I should be doing. I have spoken to everyone during toolbox talks,and have tried to work with them and encourage them to ensure that the facilities remain in good condition for their use - but it doesn't last. I can't put cameras in - I can't lock the facilities up - I can't threaten that the cost of cleaning will be taken out of their bonus - I can't identify any individual responsible - so what can I do? Has anyone else experienced this and did they come up with a solution?

Many thanks and a Happy Christmas to one and all

Posted By Martin Forbes
Demeaning the men is the best way of enforcing good standards. You can't stop them from having access to the facilities, you can't stop them abusing it, but you can make them want to stop.

The solution to this in my personal opinion is have the toilet key located with a specific person, any person wanting to use the toilet facilities will have to sign the key out, including the time they took the key and the time they returned it, the person holding the key would have to ensure the records are accurate.

In a worst case scenario instead of having someone standing at the door 24/7 just have the person whom the key is returned to checking on the facilities after each person visits.

This of course is time consuming and tedious, but it is not a long-term policy, you should enforce a system like this for 1 month, remove it and say if this happens again the system will be put back into place.

Grown men may act like kids but they dont like to be treated like kids

Hope that helps

Posted By NCL
Hi Martin,

I'm afriad you may not like my opinion on this one.

I have come across this in factories before. In the worst example the employees were smearing their own excrement over the walls.

In my experience the cause of this has been that employees are unhappy about something else, some other aspect of their working conditions (in the example I gave it was probably becuase they were freezing cold - I prosecuted the company).

I have often found that when employees feel they have no power or no voice they gain power elsewhere, often through vandalism. It's similar to kids at school. They don't feel they have a say in their own lives at school so they empower themselves through vandalism.

Maybe that sounds a bit touchy feely to you. But honestly I have found it to be a frequent link.

So you could try looking at employee communication. Is there something that they are unhappy about? You may not think it's important but to them it it may be. Empower people with the resposibility to have a say in their own workplace and they will usually respect that work place.

Just my opinion, for what it's worth.