Put An End To Unsanitary Workplaces As Women Employees Deserve Clean Toilets

At the start of my career, I worked in a company that had terrible toilets. On occasion, there would be tiny worms coming out of the tap water in the toilet. You can imagine how appalled I was, and I had to take leave at least once during my period since I didn’t want to die of some disease caused by poor hygiene. The HR person would come up to me and say, “Aishwariya, today, you look a little dull,” or words to that effect. Somehow, nobody ever discussed the issue of poor hygiene in the toilets. At the start of my career, I kept a lot of things unexpressed since I was new to the workforce. I finally told the HR about the issue. I don’t think anything was done.

So, of course, when I got a chance, I quit that company and instead joined an MNC, which had a spanking new building and was a leader in its segment.

My fervent plea to entrepreneurs and business owners is, please do not let this happen to anyone. Even if you cannot offer your employees a new skyscraper in an SEZ, at least ensure that they do not have to undergo ordeals, such as the one I went through. It is humiliating to be asked to use a restroom that is so unsanitary.

What are the things that need to be taken care of?

Those of you running businesses out of offices, please see to it that the following basic things are done.

1. Get your A/Cs checked so that your employees are not subjected to foul air.
2. Get clean water running in your taps.
3. Provide clean drinking water for your employees.
4. Keep chairs that have all four legs and are stable.
5. Keep sanitary pads for use for your women employees.

There are many more things employers can do to make their employees feel comfortable in the workplace. I have listed the very basic, non-negotiable ones.

Dear reader, please feel free to name some steps a company can take to make employees feel at home via comments. It is embarrassing that I have to write about the very basic levels of hygiene in an article and spell out these things. However, sadly, workplaces can be hellholes in more ways than one. It is not always mental torture an employee has to go through, but sometimes, physical torture, too.

Image source: a still from the film Mr and Mrs Iyer

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