Male Developers and the Shared Toilet
At the bottom of the barrel, there are tech stories. Today’s rambling from the mind of The Secret Developer contains memories of working for a multinational IT firm at their headquarters and recalls an email aimed at controlling staff.
The Bathroom Situation
“I worked at one of those multinational companies with gleaming buildings as you’d expect. What I didn’t expect was a cloakroom-related email.
One day I went to the office and had a dump in my inbox.
I’ll repeat what it said.”
“It has come to our attention that the restroom facilities, particularly the disabled facilities on the ground floor, are not being treated respectfully by colleagues. This behavior has included issues such as tissues not being disposed of properly and concerns around general cleanliness.
We kindly ask everyone, particularly our male colleagues, to be extra considerate in maintaining the cleanliness of these facilities. Ensuring that tissues and other waste are disposed of in the bins provided, and being mindful of cleanliness during use, are small but impactful ways we can all contribute to a more pleasant and hygienic environment.
A clean and well-maintained restroom is not just a matter of hygiene but also of mutual respect and consideration for all users, including those with different needs. Your cooperation in this matter is not only appreciated but essential in upholding the standards of our shared workspace. If an improvement is not seen we will need to close the unisex facilities on the ground floor.”
“I’m not sure which part of this email was most disgusting. Probably the fact that it went out to hundreds of IT colleagues. It just doesn’t make sense to me to do this.
The fact that this email had to be sent out to hundreds of IT professionals is a stark reminder that technical prowess doesn’t always equate to common courtesy or basic hygiene. It’s a small yet telling example of the hygiene issues I had to work with. Ask me about that another time “
Conclusion
In the seemingly sophisticated world of tech, where we pride ourselves on innovation and intelligence, it’s disheartening to confront such basic issues as bathroom etiquette. This story, though somewhat comical in its absurdity, reflects a deeper problem of respect and consideration in shared spaces. It’s baffling and a bit embarrassing that a professional environment needs reminders about something as fundamental as cleanliness.
“Code is important. Yet so are toilet habits, kids. Don’t forget that.“