Can a workplace lock the toilets and insist we can only go on our break?

74jax

I have endometriosis as this would give me nightmares

Sea_Shell

Studies (Mythbusters!!) have shown that bursting for a pee, can cause cognitive impairment, similar to drink/drug driving!!

I'm sure your employer would want to 100% focused on the job, not your bladder.

5 hours without a toilet break is far too long, unless you purposely dehydrate yourself.

Not to mention other needs to use the bathroom.

General_Grant

TELLIT01 said:

It certainly doesn't seem reasonable to me, but that doesn't automatically mean it's breaching employment law.  Can you speak to a senior manager about it?  It's possible the supervisor has taken it on themselves to introduce the rule if they have staff members they believe are skiving by having excessive toilet breaks.  If that is the reason, the supervisor needs to address the problem with the offenders, not punish everybody.  It's important to keep fluid levels up, and there's certainly no way I could go 5 hours if I was consuming the recommended amount of liquid.

It's probably lack of clarity on health and safety law (Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992) rather than employment law per se. 

yksi

This is a good one to speak with your union about.

minty777

https://www.guardiansupport.co.uk/blog/can-you-put-restrictions-on-toilet-breaks-at-work/

HRH_MUngo

My son is  checkouts Team Leader at a supermarket.  One of the checkout people was abusing the toilet breaks.  So he dealt with that person, not punished everyone.
As to the legality of things I have no idea, but a five hour stretch without being able to go to the toilet  is quite a long time, especially for women.

KatrinaWaves

Were the staff using their toilet breaks to use their phones to check on their poorly neighbours?