Bathroom Bandit

jsprague · November 2003

Prior to 3 weeks ago our company was located in a business park settled amongst quite a few other businesses. We now own our own building and have merged all of our locations into one. Here’s the conundrum: apparently “we have a very unsanitary female employee who keeps messing up the woman’s restroom”. Now I am known as the notorious Lysol HR lady so usually everything is unsanitary to me. However, I had our “most tolerant” employee from accounting sit across from me today exploding in rage because she has found poop for the third time all over the first stall in the bathroom. As I recover from my sudden need to put on full body armor and Lysol it and the perpetrator I assure her I will send out an email and address the issue. Much to my dismay I find out our receptionist has been cleaning up after our poop bandit for two weeks now but has been unsure of how to approach the problem. So I ask my fellow HR associates of the world how on earth do you articulate an email that will not offend anyone yet get the message across we are adults, Clean up after yourself, and be respectful to others?

HR in CA · November 2003

We had the same problem. It was not just poop but every body fluid! And it was not just on the seat, but the handle, the stall walls, on top of the tank, etc. It was such a mess we could not even begin to figure out how the female could position herself to cover the area she did. We put signs in each stall stating employees are to clean up after themselves, and if they didn't we would be forced to call in the hazmat team to clean the stalls, and it would not be cheap (our employees received quarterly bonuses). And furthermore if we had to call the hazmat to clean we would close the restroomas and provide port-a-potties. The issue resolved itself, and we never had to bring in hazmat.

Do you have any employees with disabilities? If so could it be possible that an employee has difficulty with the wiping process?

Just something to think about.

Good luck!

Pixie · November 2003

We have toilet seat covers in our restrooms for the women that prefer not to have their "butt cheeks" touch the seat.

ray a · November 2003

I posted a question to a similar problem to the forum last spring. It was the notorious "Finger Painting" thread. Yes, the culprit showed his artistic side by drawing smiley faces on the stall walls, and he wasn't using pens, pencils, crayons or markers. We narrowed it down to a couple of good suspects and one in particular. I received suggestions ranging from putting a camera outside the restroom to monitor comings and goings to having the poop analyzed for DNA evidence then getting a sample from all the guys to match up. At one point, I had the stall doors removed from the rest room where our artist usually hit. He just moved to a new venue and I thoroughly irritated everyone else. I ended up getting all the guys together and giving a little speech about cleanliness and about how nice our facility is and how visitors comment and how we consider it our house. But, we had one sick individual who was doing his best to make us all look bad. I said that we had it narrowed down to 1st shift through surveillance (which we did do) and then as I slowly scanned the room making eye contact, I dropped a little hint that we had a very good idea who it was and made a point of looking right at him immediately after that statement. Then I appealed to everyone's sense of honor requesting that if anyone observed anything that would help us, to please let one of us know. I also warned that if the problem persisted and we caught the individual, he would be immediately terminated. Of course I had to do all this with a straight face in my sternest of tones with the VP standing by my side. That was last March or April. The finger painter has not struck again. Success.

TN HR · November 2003

It's late now in MS and there's probably a full-blown consortium deep in conversation at the local watering hole discussing the monumental loss against TN.

However, if you wait until tomorrow Pork and Don D will have some colorful insight on this subject x;-)

scantey · November 2003

I am not only disgusted by your post but I can sympathize with you. At my last employer we had a similar problem of not flushing (the wall incident just astounds me) but I happened to be in the bathroom one day and noticed a woman on my floor (in a different company) coming out of the stall. I knew someone had not been flushing and as soon as she walked out- I walked in and saw her little surprise. I not only called her out on it I posted her description on the bathroom wall and warned all ladies to remind her to flush if they happened to be in the bathroom at the same time. I think humiliation goes a long way since others had been warned.
I guess it would have been different had I directly worked with her but I am sure I would have called her on it. I hope you catch her- or whatever it is....

mwild31 · November 2003

We've had this problem on and off for a few years. First, I don't think an email will get your point across - they are usually cold & not very effective in these situations (at least in my experience). Second, since you're in Washington, you may be able to call the Health Department (see Washington State's website for their numbers) and see if they have education materials on the subject or if someone can come out and teach about hygiene. If they have the materials, even if they don't, I would go out as the HR person (as it sounds like this job will fall to you from your post - instead of a supervisor) and meet with each group/department & discuss the issue. It's gross, but short of finding out who the bandit is (then I would meet with that person), I think you're going to have to take a group approach to getting the word out. The benefit of a group approach is that it puts the issue within everyone's radar & if they happen to be sitting in the next stall the next time it happens - they are more apt to say something or at the very least report it. Finally, I would put signs up on each stall & on the doors reminding people to flush and to wash their hands.

In our case, as soon as the issue reaches a high profile (I have to know about it or the president) it usually subsides until the next time - it's an ongoing battle, so pick your strategy & stick to it each time it comes up.

gwod wuck! (I was holding my nose x;-))

marc · November 2003

I am nearly speechless. How can anyone be like this? Perhaps they were raised by wolves, although I think most animals would be more sanitary than your bathroom bandit.

Ray has made a good suggestion, the only other step that makes any sense was posted on one of the other threads about this topic: Lock the doors and have EEs sign out a key. The first person coming back with a complaint points the finger at the previous user.

If you could just find out who it is, and put them on bathroom clean-up detail for a few months....or maybe send them to Pork to be a herder for a while, if he would take them. The Hogs may have higher standards than your bathroom bandit could meet.

Don D · November 2003

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 11-18-03 AT 04:42AM (CST)[/font][br][br]TN HR: Gene, as it were: It may be late in Mississippi, but it's not so late that this whole thing doesn't gross me totally out. The replies to the lady's post, which apparently came from females, are beyond the pale. Notwithstanding the loss to Tennessee, I'm at a loss for words. This ranks right up there among the grossest of all times. I don't know about Pork's read on this subject; but, I do hope the wind is blowing north from his company toward yours. Have a grand dinner!

(quote from Ray: "Then I appealed to everyone's sense of honor..." Now that's gotta be the hoot of the day. An 'honorable' crapper artist.)

rad · November 2003

We have non-flushers here and also some who miss the bowl. None of the women on my floor have a problem walking so I refuse to believe a disability is the problem, they are just pigs. Missing the bowl is an accident, neglecting to clean up after yourself is not. I agree with one of the previous posts that an e-mail may not help, they are too easy to just delete. However, a group meeting on diseases transmitted by feces and simple bathroom hygeine may work. I think the offender, when in a group, will give herself away with her body language. you can then keep a good eye on her bathroom habits.

I would also caution your receptionist to not clean someone else's feces ...unless she has the proper protective gear and is using the proper cleaning solution, she could be putting herself at risk.

Don D · November 2003

Knowing a bit about anatomy, I don't mean to be indelicate; but, how does a woman miss the bowl? On another note, the person who is cleaning up is risking infection along the lines of Hep-B or worse. I don't know about your facility, but OSHA would require that we offer Hep-B vaccine immediately following that potential risk. You are talking bodily fluids and potentially infectious waste and that is the OSHA standard. This is much more serious and risky than cleaning up after one's own two year old.

rad · November 2003

You're not being indelicate. The next time you go, try hovering over the bowl. Its not that easy.

LeeR · November 2003

I am the only male in my building so we have a shared restroom. After several disgusting discoveries of used fem hygiene products I ordered a trash can with a lid. Now they just leave them on the lid, unwrapped. These are supposed to be professional people.

rad · November 2003

That is disgusting. And unsanitary. I can never figure out what exactly goes through people's minds when they do things like that. I would never ever consider leaving a soiled maxi pad out for anyone else to see, even at home, and I live alone. Some people are just so selfish and inconsiderate and disgusting. They are, I'm sure, the same people that do not wash their hands after using the toilet, leave their rotten food in the fridge and who do not wipe off the break room table after eating.

I had a roommate in college who never threw away her rotten food and it stunk up the fridge. I got so sick of it I put it on her bed. She got the hint. Too bad their soiled stuff could not be placed on their desk... x}>

bamahr · November 2003

We had the same problem and our culpit was a 70 year old with a bad knee. It was not as bad as you described - but really annoyed some of the other ladies. Part of me felt sorry for her - it was not intentional - the other part understood the concerns of the other women. In your case - I agree with signing out a key. You would probably only have to do this for about a week and the problem would stop.

Dasher · November 2003

I would put a well-worded letter inside the bathroom(s) reminding all of the unsanitary nature and health risks involved in not cleaning up after an "accident" of this type (please, please be an accident). The only other time I have heard of this kind of gross neglect was when my niece's roommate at college did not know how to clean up after herself because she grew up with servants and thought she still had them.

Females tend to not sit directly on public bathroom seats. Putting those paper covers in each bathroom is a good idea, along with the Lysol spray and making sure towels and soap are always available.

Always thought the workplace bathrooms were relatively safe, however, after reading your post, I may never sit on another seat again.

deniseE · November 2003

I will NEVER complain about the conditions of our bathrooms again.

GROSS.

I do not envy your position. Perhaps you could consult the local Kindergarden class and have them offer tips and hints on bathroom etiquette.

gross.

FunHRBanker · November 2003

I am totally disgusted by this whole thing! How in the world would you get feces all over the stall without having to touch it (which brings in a whole new level of gross)?! I agree with signing out a key and having an informational meeting about sanitary conditions and biohazardous materials. EEEEWWW!

WOCO Frank · November 2003

Why do women have to have such filthy bathrooms, anyway?

Sincerely,

Felix Unger

hrplanet · November 2003

>Why do women have to have such filthy bathrooms,
>anyway?

I believe there are enough posts here to implicate that the doors on both sides of the hallway can be equally disgusting.
A lifetime ago I had the one time duty of cleaning both the mens and womens bathrooms for a local grocery store. Although neither side had a good housekeeping seal of approval what I found in the mens side smeared all over....well enough of the visual.
Hope the problem child grows up!

marc · November 2003

Now I think I am going to put in a latex glove dispensor in the bathrooms, and maybe carry a package in my pocket. That may be the only way I can touch anything in the bathroom ever again. We do not have the Felix Unger of janitors, but like deniseE said, I will not be complaining about our bathrooms again.

I believe Jsprague should win the award for the grossest post of the 4th quarter. Welcome to the forum. Please everyone, do not try to win this award.

rad · November 2003

thats not a bad idea, Marc. some of the women I work with look at me like I'm crazy when I use a paper towel to shut off the faucet and open the door after I've washed my hands but considering this post proves just how filthy bathrooms really are, I think I'm being the smart one.

HRgalME · November 2003

One thing to say, ewwww! What the heck is wrong with people? Maybe working for a small company is not a bad idea after all.

Cyndy

cebudragonlady · November 2003

Close the bathrooms. And put portable toilets outside in the parking lot. At least that will get the stink away from the building.

Chari

Bathroom Bandit

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