More than 60 porters, who are members of the trade union Unite, claimed that they were told to inform managers before and after using the toilet. They also said that staff with periods had to notify management in order to be granted additional toilet time.
Additionally, staff claimed that they were ignored and disciplined when advocating for patient safety by highlighting understaffing and equipment issues.
When asked whether HR should monitor employees’ toilet use at work, a spokesperson for Unite told HR magazine: “Absolutely not.
“There is never any justification for monitoring the use of the toilet; it is degrading and insulting.
"If organisations believe that workers are taking too long in the toilet, maybe they should take a long hard look at themselves and ask why their work environment is so awful that people linger in communal toilets."
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Employers should be aware of reasons employees might need regular access to toilets, according to Kate Palmer, employment services director at HR consultancy Peninsula.
Speaking to HR magazine, she said: “Managers should be alert to equality laws and should not assume that an employee taking longer or more frequent toilet breaks is skiving. An employee with endometriosis may, for example, need to go to the toilet more regularly. Making them notify their manager each time could be distressing.
“Employers also need to ensure that there are adequate provisions in place. A council, for example, was found to have discriminated on the grounds of sex when toilet facilities lacked sanitary bins, and women had to walk past men using urinals.”
Rather than track employees' toilet use, HR should focus on creating a culture of trust, according to Lucy Cobb, employment lawyer and advice operations manager at HR software provider Bright HR.
"We need to remember that everyone has different needs, and it is the duty of HR to create a workplace that respects these individual circumstances," she told HR magazine.
"Employers can ensure productivity by creating a culture of trust and accountability and addressing any issues of misuse separately and sensitively."
Unite has also put bus companies on notice for denying workers access to clean or decent toilets for long periods of time.
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More than half (57.8%) of workers do not have the chance to use the toilet when they need to, due to reasons such as a lack of breaks or access during shifts, a survey of 4,000 workers by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) showed.
The report, published today (19 November), also revealed that 45% of workers do not always have access to a toilet at all while at work. This was most common among postal workers, firefighters and construction and trade workers.
HR should ensure that facilities are in line with health and safety regulations, the Unite spokesperson continued.
They added: "The first question for management and HR teams is: 'Would I be happy to use these facilities?' Be that toilets, rest rooms or canteens. If the answer is no then they are inadequate and should be improved.
“Scrimping on facilities is wrong, and quite likely to be in breach of healthy and safety regulations."
The Southampton hospital porters have scheduled a 24-hour strike for 28 November. Strikes are due to follow on Monday and Friday each week throughout December and January.
