Advice needed on how to approach an icky topic at work.

I've tolerated as long as I can stand it but I just can't do it anymore so I'm here for some good TCS advice!!

We have a staff bathroom at work...and only 2 full time women, and now 2 part time women....and one of them pees on the toilet seat continually. It just happens to be my boss...the owner. I know it's her because much of the time we are the only two there and well, at this stage of my pregnancy I'm frequenting the bathroom more than I was before.

Typically I end up spraying the seat with cleaner, waiting a minute and then wiping with a paper towel, washing my hands, lining the seat with paper, and THEN I can finally go. I do not have the leg strength to "hover" and frankly having to see someone else's urine is revolting even if I could.

I like my boss a lot; she's a good boss to work for and she really respects my opinion on things at work. I just don't know how to bring this up to her!! I don't know how I can generalize it as if it were maybe a co-worker because one has only been there one day and the other doesn't work many hours as it is. I'm really fed up with having the clean the seat multiple times every day. If she must stand to go, why can't she lift the seat like a man would?? There are so few of us there it's just plain wrong that we have a dirty bathroom like that.

Any advice?? I'm really hoping you all can help me find a solution because the bigger my belly gets, the more I go, and the less my patience stretches for it!

I had that problem on a job once. We were not sure who was doing it, so we made up a cute sign and posted it on the bathroom wall where it could be easily seen It said "If you sprinkle when you tinkle, please be sweet and wipe the seat." We all got a good giggle and the problem was solved.

My goodness that's a touchy subject! I don't know HOW you could approach it without making SOMEONE mighty mad!

Here's some options if you want to avoid the whole confrontation: http://p-standingup.com/ and http://www.shewee.com/

Good luck.

Whoa that is a hard one to approach. It's hard to come up with an idea that wouldn't involve someone coming away feeling very awkward on either side of the fence.
Krazy kat2's idea seems like a good approach. Humor does have a way of defusing a probable bad feelings sistuation. Plus it would get the idea across without any direct conversation about who is to blame. Your boss may not even be aware that she is leaving such a problem behind. You would think if she was she would clean it up herself.
Anyway good luck with what ever you decide to do.

They hung a bathroom etiquette list in every stall in the bathrooms where I work. It's ridiculous how messy some people can be. From peeing on the seat and leaving it, to making a mess during that time of month - ugh.

I probably would make the cute little sign and put it up because that doesnt sound like a conversation that would be easy to have.

Originally Posted by krazy kat2

I had that problem on a job once. We were not sure who was doing it, so we made up a cute sign and posted it on the bathroom wall where it could be easily seen It said "If you sprinkle when you tinkle, please be sweet and wipe the seat." We all got a good giggle and the problem was solved.

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I think that's a great idea! No one should have to put up with pee on the seat

It's very unusual for a woman to pee on a toilet seat. In fact I haven't heard of it. Are you sure it's urine? The seat in our staff bathroom gets wet from when people are washing their hands and give their hands a shake afterward or when they are getting the paper towel to dry their hands.

EDIT: If it really is pee, rather than approach her and accuse her, if there are guys working in your office, you could always approach her and tell her that you think some of the guys are using the women's washroom because you have noticed what appears to be urine on the seat.

I like KrazyKat's idea- at my old office we had to do the same thing

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

It's very unusual for a woman to pee on a toilet seat. In fact I haven't heard of it. Are you sure it's urine? The seat in our staff bathroom gets wet from when people are washing their hands and give their hands a shake afterward or when they are getting the paper towel to dry their hands.

EDIT: If it really is pee, rather than approach her and accuse her, if there are guys working in your office, you could always approach her and tell her that you think some of the guys are using the women's washroom because you have noticed what appears to be urine on the seat.

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I thought at first this was sarcastic.......Women peeing on the seat is a regular thing around here! Where I work there are 20 seasonal employees and this is a constant battle! There are typed notices on the doors and walls of both the bathroom and kitchen area.....Yesterday the girl who was cleaning the dressing room found old food left on a shelf, with maggots in it! When it comes to things like this, you snooze, you loose......When it comes to health issues, you have to say something to your boss! There is only one person who this doesn't bother, and that's who doing it!

Originally Posted by cheylink

I thought at first this was sarcastic.......

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Not sure why you would think that. It wasn't meant to be a sarcastic comment. I've truly never heard of women peeing on a toilet seat.

Even if you put up the sign, and then found the seat pee-free, you'd still have to use the lysol, wait the minute and line the seat with paper. Even if she just wipes it off with toilet paper, she didn't clean the seat! That's why I always have a small lysol spray with me. But I clean up when I'm done if it needs it - because I hover. And Linda, when women hover, they can get pee on the seat.

...but pretending you don't know that and telling her you think one of the men is using the bathroom is probably something I'd consider in the situation!

Originally Posted by LDG

Even if you put up the sign, and then found the seat pee-free, you'd still have to use the lysol, wait the minute and line the seat with paper. Even if she just wipes it off with toilet paper, she didn't clean the seat! That's why I always have a small lysol spray with me. But I clean up when I'm done if it needs it - because I hover. And Linda, when women hover, they can get pee on the seat.

...but pretending you don't know that and telling her you think one of the men is using the bathroom is probably something I'd consider in the situation!

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But you're right Laurie...you'd still know it was there, it would just be wiped off. It's a tough situation.

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Not sure why you would think that. It wasn't meant to be a sarcastic comment. I've truly never heard of women peeing on a toilet seat.

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I didn't mean sarcastic in a bad way, I thought you were joking, only because you can't go to a public bathroom in NYC without this! Unfortunately I am way to use to seeing this, and hate using public bathrooms because of it.....

Originally Posted by MoochNNoodles

Any advice?? I'm really hoping you all can help me find a solution because the bigger my belly gets, the more I go, and the less my patience stretches for it!

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You want to approach your boss about this - the owner of the place where you work? Even if I were 100% sure it was her, I wouldn't say or do anything about it (except to try to relax and to continue cleaning the seat). In this type of situation I've found it's best to say nothing, let it blow over or let someone else complain.

Originally Posted by cheylink

I didn't mean sarcastic in a bad way, I thought you were joking, only because you can't go to a public bathroom in NYC without this!

Unfortunately I am way to use to seeing this, and hate using public bathrooms because of it.....

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LOL! It's the women who hover who splash the seats, watch out when going to Europe, yuckiest public bathrooms ever!

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

EDIT: If it really is pee, rather than approach her and accuse her, if there are guys working in your office, you could always approach her and tell her that you think some of the guys are using the women's washroom because you have noticed what appears to be urine on the seat.

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That's a good idea. Then it would in no way sound like you thought it was her, but would let her know that there is a problem

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

It's very unusual for a woman to pee on a toilet seat. In fact I haven't heard of it. Are you sure it's urine? The seat in our staff bathroom gets wet from when people are washing their hands and give their hands a shake afterward or when they are getting the paper towel to dry their hands.

EDIT: If it really is pee, rather than approach her and accuse her, if there are guys working in your office, you could always approach her and tell her that you think some of the guys are using the women's washroom because you have noticed what appears to be urine on the seat.

Click to expand...

It's definitely her and it's definitely pee....it's yellow. And really, most of the time it's just the 2 of us there...plus I have a direct view of the restroom from my desk. And there are no men working there for me to pin the blame on. That would make things so much simpler! We only have one bathroom for staff and one for patients. It just seems a no win situation for me.

Originally Posted by SwampWitch

You want to approach your boss about this - the owner of the place where you work? Even if I were 100% sure it was her, I wouldn't say or do anything about it (except to try to relax and to continue cleaning the seat). In this type of situation I've found it's best to say nothing, let it blow over or let someone else complain.

LOL! It's the women who hover who splash the seats, watch out when going to Europe, yuckiest public bathrooms ever!

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I've ignored it since I started working there because it's such an uncomfortable topic. But I'm almost 8 months pregnant...that potty and I are seeing quite a bit of each other. Sometimes quite urgently. I just don't know that I can ignore it anymore. I'm hoping to work just till the end of the year; so really not too much longer, but I don't see my trips to the bathroom decreasing any!

Originally Posted by CatMom2Wires

My goodness that's a touchy subject! I don't know HOW you could approach it without making SOMEONE mighty mad!

Here's some options if you want to avoid the whole confrontation: http://p-standingup.com/ and http://www.shewee.com/

Good luck.

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Those are great! I like the "She Wee" one best! Partly because it's reusable. I'd go through a lot of the other ones but being disposable has obvious advantages too.

Maybe your boss's vision is poor -- maybe she can't see that she's left a problem for the next "guest." I cant imagine why anyone would embarrass herself that way if she were aware of it.

So short of telling her about it (which I agree is probably a bad idea), the only approach I can think of is to bring in some disposable disinfectant wipes and place them prominently beside the toilet... then say to your boss, "By the way, my doctor's office had this handout about communicable disease, and it said bathroom seats should be cleaned every time. So I brought us some disposable wipes, to make it easy." The doctor reference may help it make sense to her, with your pregnancy and all. A white lie.

Of course, this won't work if she thinks being a "hoverer" exempts her from concern... but it might help.

Does anyone make disposable toilet seat covers? I buy Always pads that come with a small wipe stuck to them and I know they sell them individually in packs- I suppose those along with a disposable seat cover might work? I have no idea of how to talk to her about this without offending her- since you two are mainly the ones who use this bathroom!

Weve got this problem at work at the moment, not in the ladies but the gents. It's part of our health and safety, so they were told last week if anyones caught they'll be up for disciplinary action.

It's disgusting, and for me they have no respect for themselves let alone their work collegues!.