Feminine Products

wiremanufacturer · March 2003

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 03-12-03 AT 10:23AM (CST)[/font][p]We currently do not offer a feminine products machine in our ladies restroom. We have had a few ee's who inquired about installing a machine. My plant supervisor remembers that a few years ago the company that he worked for pulled out their machines because of Work comp claims (Toxic Shock Syndrome). Does anyone have any experience with this issue?
Thanks for your help.

Thanks for the help in this. We decided to put some items in the bathroom for the ladies and let them pay for the items.

Leslie · March 2003

I work in a casino. We have so many public restrooms that we find housekeeping barely has time to take care of the employee restrooms let alone restock "those" machines. They are consistently empty and/or broken. They are a pain, and I wish they weren't there. That way employees would know they would have to be prepared on their own.

I don't know about work comp issues. Would seem impossible to prove that it was that specific product which caused an infection/disease, when you purchase all kinds of other products on your own.

Rockie · March 2003

I agree these machines are a big pain to stock and keep repaired. Haven't heard anything about "toxic shock" complaints. I thought the offending products that supposedly caused this were withdrawn from the market. Most people keep their own products in their desk. I always keep a supply just in case someone has an emergency. We have an abundance of women in our workforce, so someone usually has "extras" just in case.

Trinity · March 2003

My work place is about 90% women, so we do have a feminine product machine. Now to get a little more detailed than some of you may like, toxic shock syndrome is only linked to the use of tampons. However, there is no risk if one wears a pad. Therefore, you could still provide your employees with an option to use a maxipad machine, without the risk of being liable for TSS. However, we have had both and heard no complaints. Like stated earlier, I believe they were taken off the market. In addition, tampons usuallt have a disclaimer on their individual wrappers that explains how to minimize TSS.

If you have a majority of women in your employ, this can be a greatly appreciated benefit to them..something to consider.

Stacy36 · March 2003

We don't use a tampon or pad machine. Our company purchases the products and leaves them in a discrete location in the ladies room. No one has ever thanked us for the extra freebies, but I'm sure they appreciate it. I work for a small time company that has coffee makers instead of a coffee machine, free tea bags, hot chocolate and other free stuff such as donuts, candy, crackers. We also have free pizza on the first and third Friday of every month, Free hoagies the second and fourth Friday, catered dinners on every holiday and fifty dollar gift certificates for the local grocer on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. My employer is one of the rare few that believes they would have nothing but for the hard work of the employees and gladly give all the freebies they can.

Leslie · March 2003

Very nice...and very few and far between anymore.

Parabeagle · March 2003

Not to mention that pads come in much more handy if you're overrun by terrorists and your wounded employees need pressure bandages. Okay. I'll shut up now. :oo

ritaanz · March 2003

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 03-12-03 AT 08:38AM (CST)[/font][p]Geeeeeze!! I don't believe you said that.

LisaMN · March 2003

Now I think I should've posted my "Whatever Happened to Class" comment on this thread....../:)

Parabeagle · March 2003

I regretted it the moment I hit the "Post Message" button. Sorry.

Meg · March 2003

Our company has both machines in the restroom and they are very much appreciated. The machines have always been stocked whenever I have been in a bind. It allows employeews to focus on work and not have to worry about running to Walgreens.

Trinity · March 2003

Real smart to say in a thread of mostly women, Parabeagle xclap.
I suppose you wanna say something smart aleck about childbirth, cramps, bloating, control top pantyhose, etc...
come on..do it..I dare ya!

Leslie · March 2003

Double dog dare?

Parabeagle · March 2003

Trinity, Leslie, look! I apologized for my tasteless remark and you two are trying to goad me into saying something stupid???? Is that it? Huh? Well I'm not as stupid as I look, ladies!

Leslie · March 2003

Hey it's not me. Remember yesterday I'm the one who thought you were witty!

Parabeagle · March 2003

Did you or did you not double-dog dare me? I agree, Trinity started it but you encouraged her. x;-)

Trinity · March 2003

Ok, Ok, I'm a trouble-maker..sorry Parabeagle, blame it on PMS..;;)

djacobs475 · March 2003

We didn't want to go through the expense and bother of the machines, so we purchased a medium sized plastic container which is kept in 1 bathroom ( out of the 2 ladies' rooms) and in it we have: tampons, pads, aleve. It's come in handy and all really appreciate the accessibility in case of emergency.

Don D · March 2003

You guys are taking 'warm and fuzzy personnel office' to a new level. What are we putting in the men's room to accommodate their agonies? Just wondering. And what's all this hoopla about cramps, bloating, childbirth and control top panty hose? None of those have ever presented any problems for me and I've never had any such complaints when my wife went through any of that stuff. I just tell her, "Suck it up!" I know this is a women's only thread, but I'll be bold anyway, although not nearly as bold as parabeagle. I do have a little bit of sense.

Rockie · March 2003

>You guys are taking 'warm and fuzzy personnel office' to a new level.
>What are we putting in the men's room to accommodate their agonies?
>Just wondering. And what's all this hoopla about cramps, bloating,
>childbirth and control top panty hose? None of those have ever
>presented any problems for me and I've never had any such complaints
>when my wife went through any of that stuff. I just tell her, "Suck it
>up!" I know this is a women's only thread, but I'll be bold anyway,
>although not nearly as bold as parabeagle. I do have a little bit of
>sense.

Hey! We have a Viagra machine in our mens' rooms.

djacobs475 · March 2003

Don,

"Suck it up"???... my husband wouldn't even dare ...

As far as in the men's room, we provide them with a fully stocked "First Aid Kit"...

Don D · March 2003

Rockie: You're lyin'. Viagra in a men's room utilized by doctors. For God's sakes. Talk about liability and putting the public at risk!
Djacobs: Seriously, do you think I would have lived this long if I were stupid enough to tell her that. I can think it though.

Trinity · March 2003

"Suck it up?" Don??..what exactly do you think control top panty hose are for??
Sheesh. And I think that was a smart move not saying that to your wife..you may have found yourself sucking something up, if you know what I mean!!

Rockie · March 2003

Yeah Don. I did stretch the truth a bit on this, but I just couldn't think of another "agony" a man might have! (Except the one he might have if he caught his wife wrong in a PMS moment!)

Don D · March 2003

Well, since you apparently need a bit of help Rockie, I'll tell you. Men have basically the same pain and ailment problems women have, with a couple of exceptions on both sides of the equation. But, we too would love to have a small flower-painted bucket or wall-mounted cabinet stocked with Aleve, Immodium, Maalox, Tums, Alka Seltzer, bandaids, No Doz, Zantac and maybe some eye drops. And magazine racks inside the stalls but no Madumozelle Dominatrix stuff. Don't just put all this stuff in the women's room! And go ahead and stock some viagra too for those older guys, but, with the admonition printed on the bottle that they are expected to head home!

Rockie · March 2003

Would you like violets or daisies on that bucket, son? Hell...I'll even throw in some of that there scented body lotion for that pesky, scaly alligator skin you guys hate so much!

As you can tell, this is the end of a long, stressful week and I am soooo glad we have some humor to fall back on!

Don D · March 2003

Correcto Friend! But the guy who chastises us for too much humor while he's trying to be serious, is lurking out there somewhere. What did HR folks do for sanity before the Forum?

Parabeagle · March 2003

Humor is important, even when discussing serious subjects. I once heard a joke about HR people without a sense of humor (and trust me -- I've run into my share of them): Question: What's a Human Resources Manager? Answer: A funeral director without a sense of humor.

Don D · March 2003

Or in many other cases, "A funeral director WITH a sense of humor". That's why I wear Hawaiian shirts and Red Hi-top Converse All-Stars some days.

Feminine Products

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