For many workers, the right to go is dead and gone, a TUC survey has found.

BUCKET LIST  “My toilet is a B&Q bucket, a blue roll, cold (stored) water and hand soap in the back of my van. I try to save ‘no 2s’ for being near a big supermarket that has toilets, but nature doesn’t always allow it. It’s disgusting, but that is the reality”– emergency plumber.

The union body said the fact more than 4,000 working people participated in the survey “indicates how common and significant these problems are in the lives of many working people.”

TUC assistant general secretary Kate Bell said: “We all deserve dignity at work. But carrying a bucket or a bottle around as your toilet is not dignified for anyone. And holding out when you need to go can lead to health problems.

“Toilet access can be especially important for some, including pregnant workers or those with health conditions that may require frequent or fast access to a toilet.  

The TUC found:

• Over half (57.8 per cent) do not always have the opportunity to use the toilet when they need to, with many citing a lack of breaks or access during shifts. These include train, bus and delivery drivers; teachers who cannot leave children unattended; and warehouse workers punished for taking time out to use the toilet.  
• Nearly half (45 per cent) do not always have access to a toilet while at work, including postal workers, firefighters responding to an incident, and construction and trades workers on-site or on-call.  
• A quarter (25 per cent) of those who do have access to toilets find they are either usually unclean, poorly functioning, or not fit for use.  
• Less than a fifth (18.5 per cent) of respondents with a toilet at work say sanitary items (like pads or tampons) are provided by the employer.

Some workers also reported a lack of facilities proportionate to the size of the workforce, including a lack of female toilets, despite being a legal requirement.
Several female respondents to the TUC survey shared experiences of ‘bleeding through’ at work while on their period as a result of being unable to access a toilet or sanitary ware.

It’s not just an inconvenience, it’s a health risk.

GOTTA GO!  Train, bus and delivery drivers, teachers and warehouse workers can find it impossible sometimes to make a call to the loo. Women told the TUC they sometimes ‘bleed through’ because they can’t get access to toilets when menstruating.

Not getting to go when you need to can cause health effects including: Urinary tract infections (UTIs); renal damage/kidney disease; constipation; abdominal pain; diverticuli; haemorrhoids; bowel distension and incontinence.

There is an additional concern for pregnant, menopausal or disabled workers and workers with urinary or gastrointestinal health conditions.

And it can be unsafe too. In 2022, a train driver died after being hit by a passing train. A Rail Accident Investigation Branch investigation found he may have left his cab to urinate due to lack of facilities on the train.

“It might not be something a person likes to talk about, so employers should consider how staff with specific toilet needs can have them met with dignity and confidentiality,” said TUC’s Kate Bell.

NO GO  Unite has put bus companies on notice that routinely denying workers access to decent toilets will not be tolerated. more

“The decline in public toilets had made life especially hard for people like delivery workers or tradespeople who are out and about all day. The Welsh government has legislated to improve provision as art of public health policy – we’d like the Westminster government to consider doing this too.” 

The TUC is calling on employers to improve workers access to toilets by:

• Allowing their staff longer breaks when necessary to allow travel time to reach a toilet
• Partnering with local authorities and businesses to improve access for mobile workers
• Including toilet needs in health and safety risk assessments
• Providing reasonable adjustments to meet toilet needs as part of legal duties to disabled workers under the Equality Act

The union body held an ‘inspect your toilets week’ from 17-23 March 2025.
Urging union safety reps to take a wee break to survey their facilities, the TUC noted: “All workers need toilets, and toilet breaks – it's a basic right. But many are finding themselves without a toilet, too long between breaks, or unhygienic or faulty facilities when they do use one.”

Toilet movement: A TUC checklist

Unions have demonstrated that access to toilets is a major concern across sectors, and a key issue in the organising agenda. The TUC dirty dozen toilet action pointers suggest how union health and safety reps can work with members to push for improvements.

• Assess the risks  Access to welfare provision is a question of occupational health and safety, so should already be on workplace risk assessments. But are there specific risk assessments required for certain colleagues, for example those with a disability? Are employers meeting their duty to carry out individual risk assessments for pregnancy?
• Gather evidence  Start with a survey in your own workplace to gather feedback on current toilet conditions, access, and breaks. This can highlight widespread issues and create a compelling case.
• Log incidents  Encourage workers to document incidents where they were unable to access toilets when needed or found them in unsanitary conditions. A log of incidents is valuable evidence.
• Get committeed  Bring up the issue at every health and safety meeting, keeping it on the agenda until resolved. If you don’t have a committee, establish one: Safety reps have the right to sit on it.
• Use the law  Highlight the relevant regulations that mandate readily accessible, clean, and functioning toilets.
• Identify health risks  Point out that poor toilet access and hygiene can lead to urinary tract infections, digestive issues, and occupational stress, creating a health risk that employers are legally obliged to mitigate. There are also safety concerns to consider where dehydration causes drowsiness, or needing to use the toilet can affect concentration.
• Act together  Workplace petitions or group actions, like an “all-together break,” where workers take breaks simultaneously, can highlight the importance of adequate restroom time without singling out any one worker. Use union newsletters, social media, and events to raise awareness about poor toilet facilities and access in the workplace. You could set up a testimonial wall in common areas (or a digital version) where workers can anonymously share stories of their experiences.
• Co-ordinate inspections  Do you have multiple safety reps in the workplace, possibly from different unions? Work together to take a co-ordinated toilet inspection action, report the results back to the employer, but also to the wider union membership to encourage involvement in a campaign.
• Involve the community  In settings like hospitals or schools, train stations and shops, you can engage patient, parent, customer and passenger groups. Support from the broader community can strengthen pressure on the employer.
• Demand facility assessments  Request regular facility assessments from employers to ensure they meet legal and industry standards for hygiene, accessibility, and privacy.
• Promote reporting Establish clear channels for workers to report issues related to toilets and welfare facilities, and monitor employer response times.
• File a formal complaint  Mention potential health consequences and refer to HSE guidelines. Union reps can make direct contact with the Health and Safety Executive concerning legal breaches using turepconcerns@hse.gov.uk. Highlight specific violations or safety concerns in advance.

What the law says

Reps wishing to raise concerns about toilet facilities can point to the clear legal duties of employers.

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 says employers must ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees, and maintain the workplace so that it is safe and without risks to health. They must also provide adequate facilities and arrangements for welfare at work.

BOTTLING IT  “I have to keep a bottle, funnel, wipes and hand sanitiser in the back of the van in case my bladder can't hang on until the next available pub or public toilet.”– female postal worker

In addition, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require employers to provide suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences and washing facilities at readily accessible places. The Approved Code of Practice states that minimum numbers should be provided depending on the size of the workforce.

The regulations also say employers must provide separate facilities for male and female users unless each facility is in a separate room with a lockable door and is for use by only one person at a time.

There is also a legal requirement under these regulations (regulations 20 and 21) to provide visiting delivery drivers with access to toilets and washing facilities, a duty clarified in a letter from the Department of Transport and HSE to employers.

“Businesses which make or receive deliveries, should ensure that drivers have easy and safe access to toilets and hand washing facilities to support their health and wellbeing whilst carrying out their important work, which supports the economy,” the letter notes.

RIGHT TRACK  A campaign by ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, has a pretty modest demand. It is calling for access to toilets for all its members. more

“Preventing access is against the law.”

The letter adds: “HSE guidance states that drivers must have access to welfare facilities located in the premises they visit as part of their work. The responsibility in law to provide access rests with the person in control of the premises.”

The Education (Schools Premises) Regulations 1999, which apply to primary and secondary schools, require separate washrooms (including sanitary facilities) to be provided for the use of staff and students.

Workers are entitled to rest breaks under the Working Time Regulations 1998, stipulating an uninterrupted 20-minute rest break during the working day if they work more than six hours a day.

GO OUTDOORS  Workers in transit or working outdoors are the most affected group when it comes to a lack of access to adequate toilet and washing facilities, the TUC found.

However, these rest breaks are separate from toilet breaks, and employers should not count toilet breaks as part of the statutory rest periods.

Disability and sex discrimination legislation may also apply, depending on circumstances.

Under the Equality Act, employers should provide reasonable adjustments to meet toilet needs of workers with associated health issues.

Toilets at work: A report on workers’ experience of toilet access and facilities, TUC, November 2024.

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TOILET ROLE

Workers are using bags, bottles, buckets and bushes to relieve themselves because of lack of toilet facilities at work, the TUC has revealed. But unions aren’t taking this sitting down, with organising campaigns aimed to leave workers flushed with success.