annual leave and toilet checks

Anihilator

Imo there is 2 aspects to the toilet issues

1) Health and Safety - is it appropiate that a member of staff enters these toilets ? Has a risk assessment been undertaken? Saying that I can't see you having much success here without specific incidents.

2) Criminal - What these people are doing is illegal. I would suggest you call the police next time it occurrs and continue to do so. I am sure after a few call outs the police will either act to stop it.

The other aspect is the appropiateness of the opposite sex checking toilets. Whilst this isnt wrong in itself I would be expecting you to announce your arrival before entering.

Imo your first recourse is to speak to your manager and explain your concerns and ensure any incidents that occurr you involve the police.

As much as I can see why your worried though it does sound like inappropiate drunken "humour" as opposed to behaviour deliberaty meant to threaten you - although I can see why this is your response.

bizywizy

I would say the toilet thing is more important than the holiday but both should be clarified by your HR dept.

You may be doing security rounds so are aware that there are circumstances that you are vunerable BUT you need to have adequate training for these times. This is what you need to ask for. If they cant provide it then it should be questioned shouldnt it.

Re the holiday - remember bank holidays can count as part of your 28 days too.

but I think it does need putting in writing so that you are asking specific questions that they have to answer.

Its not you being difficult its you clarifying things.

Good luck

CornishW

Maybe the management could put up a notice in the gents loo saying that they're patrolled/cleaned by a female. (In the public loos where I live the female loo has a male attendant and there's a notice saying so - is that a legal requirement, I wonder).
Also, management could put up a notice saying abusive behaviour won't be tolerated and could result in the police being called or something along those lines.
It sounds like half of your battle is going to be getting your bosses to take the issue seriously so it's definitely one for the union to sort out.

hook

i appreciate all your comments thankyou. i have worked in security for nearly 20 years including head doorperson at a few venues. when there has been occasion to enter the mens toilet normally only when there is an incident i would always have a male doorman with me also the same with the ladies i would be present if a male security went inside there. so i am aware that on some of these occasions in my job now that it is drunken behaviour. but my concern is more that i am actually putting myself in this position in the first place. the place that i am working is known for vagrants and people registered with the mental health dept to come in and use the facilities to do their drugs. as for the police we sometimes have community officers on site. but i had once a guy who just stood in one place of my work in a public area flashing. there were kids around. i asked the guy to leave and spoke to an officer who only took his name even though he had no id on him and he was clearly homeless and then sent him on his way. so that was a waste of time.
as for my holidays i just checked my contract and it does say 28 days pro rata including bank holidays but i have just checked my shifts for the year and i have only 1 bank holiday off. so that would be 28 days minus the 1 bank holiday i have off which still gives me 27 days holiday. actually 26 as i didnt start work until the 2nd week of jan. so it still dont make sense them telling me i only have 24 days holiday a year. cause i dont work mon to fri.

Lollypop75

I have no idea about the holidays thing.

However the toilet issue is sexual harrassment - your employer has a responsibility to protect you from that. I'm also pretty sure that if they fired you for making a complaint about this (and them not dealing with it) that would be discrimination.

Definitely take this up with your union. Also it might be worth contacting Rights of Women, http://www.rightsofwomen.org.uk/index.php. Your union rep can't know everything, but they have trained lawyers on the helplines to give legal advice on women's issues. I don't know much about their service personally, but I think that's probably the best thing.

jdturk

The reason it could be pro-rata is that of your figures you work 22 days out of 32, someone working 5 days a week would work 22.85 out of 32 so over a year that is 10 days extra so this could account for 1 less day holiday than full time members of staff, you accept you have lost 1 days holiday already so overall that would put you down to 26 days holiday pro-rata (27 in a normal working year).

Are you sure you don't get 24 plus some set bank holidays?

As for the rest I do not know

As for the toilet issue I do think that you could ask for a risk assessment to be carried out if you're not happy and feel unsafe but ultimately if they are not going to play ball you have to ask is it worth the risk staying in a job....I'm not sure I would stay in a job where I feel the risk of being assaulted is high.

getmore4less

Are you sure your contract hours are being worked out properly.

If you are sheduled sundays are they part of your contracted hours or not if no choice then they should be.

Overtime should be optional(although often hard to refuse).

Since you work different shift hours I think you need to keep an eye on what they pay you on your holiday days to make sure that you get the correct holiday hours total to match those you are actualy/contract working up to normal full time hours.

liney

jdturk wrote: »

Be interesting to know how you would dismiss a member of the public!

And its Pro-rata if the OP is not working a full week

I missed the part about the loo's be open to the general public, as well as the rest of the male staff. If i had noted that then i would have suggested that the company should provide provide CCTV recording the visitors to the facilities and warn that Lewd behavior is a criminal offense and will be reported to the police.

Whether she works part time or full time, she is still entitled to 5.6 weeks holiday per year. This means 28 days for a 5 day week, and 11.2 days for a 2 day week, etc, which can include Bank Holidays.

hook

just returned from work today and i explained my situation with the manger on duty he said no point putting up a notice but if at any time i do not feel comfortable at any time then to ask one of the other guys to do it if they refuse to come back to him and he will get it sorted. but i have 5 managers so just need to get it sorted with all of them so im hoping it might be ok from now on.
my contracted working week is 35 hours monday to saturday. sunday is not part of my working week. but i am expected to work them and it is already included in my pay. im also expected to work some overtime so that brings my hours to 38.5 hours on average a week. but some weeks i could work 40 hours or 45 hours but it suppossed to work out over the 4 week period to an average of 38.5 hours. bit confused with my contract. i have asked another manager why sunday is not part of our working week yet we are expected to work them. thanx for all your help guys

bendix

Let me get this straight. The employer's toilet is a PUBLIC toilet and yet part of your job is to go in there and check it - both men's and women's.

It's wrong on so many levels, it's not funny.

I thought every employer had to provide toilet facilities for staff. That doesnt mean nipping into the pub toilets round the corner?

Furthermore, what about the rights of the members of public using that toilet as well?