The UK is currently in the middle of a toilet aversion epidemic, it would seem… or at least if the results of a new survey are anything to go by.
For some people, nipping to the loo at the work seems like a simple task as any, perhaps even a welcome break from the busyness or the monotony of their day-to-day duties, but for others it’s a much less pleasant experience – for a whole multitude of reasons, we might add.
Whether it be below-par facilites, a cleanliness choice, personal health reasons, or even something as simple as avoiding bathroom small talk with colleagues, a new survey by Victorian Plumbing has discovered that there is a widespread reluctance among UK employees to use workplace toilets – with more than half saying they find the experience ‘uncomfortable’.
The company’s new findings – taken from a survey of 1,000 Brits – uncovered that, overall, 57% feel uncomfortable using their workplace toilet.
Nearly 60% of Brits are too ‘uncomfortable’ to use the toilet at work / Credit: Point3D (via Unsplash)
As a result, two in five employees say they’ll only use their work bathroom when they are absolutely desperate to go, and more than one in 10 (13%) of employees admit that they avoid it at all costs, preferring to hold it in instead.
ADVERTISEMENT
There was also some gender disparities in the results, as the study found that 26% of women admit they never use the workplace toilet for bowel movements, compared to just 9% of men, as for many women, it apparently comes down to the fear of being judged or feeling embarrassed (57%), encountering colleagues (55%), and being overheard (54%).
More than 4% of women said they’re more likely to use the toilet at work while on their period, however, and 18% cited that they have to due to medical conditions like endometriosis.
ADVERTISEMENT
But do these actions have consequences? Of course they do.
Around one in 10 people will avoid going altogether / Credit: Victorian Plumbing
With the average employee spending more than 36 hours per week at work, according to recent statistics, avoiding the workplace toilet could likely cause some real damage, so it’s no surprise that 41% of Brits say holding it in during the work day causes them physical discomfort or pain.
A further 39% confessed that the habit leads to stress and anxiety, and three in 10 have found that it reduces their focus and productivity.
ADVERTISEMENT
The results from the survey are what prompted Victorian Plumbing to create the ‘Superior Stalls Policy’, which aims to inspire employers to reconsider their workplace bathroom setups so employees are more comfortable.
“Brits feel far less comfortable using workplace toilets than their own at home, and this doesn’t sit right with us,” commented Alex Woods, who is a bathroom expert at Victorian Plumbing.
“Yes, there’s no place like your own toilet, but with the average Brit spending over 36 hours a week at work, everyone deserves to feel at ease – even in the loo.”
Featured Image – Possessed Photography (via Unsplash)
Trending
The cheapest Christmas Markets in the world for mulled wine have been revealed
Daisy Jackson
The most affordable Christmas Markets for drinking mulled wine have been revealed – and Manchester is nowhere in sight.
With Christmas markets across Europe preparing to welcome millions of visitors, festive fans looking to enjoy a warming cup of glühwein without breaking the bank might want to take note of the latest findings.
Festive experts at Christmas Tree World have analysed mulled wine prices at Christmas markets around the world to discover where visitors can enjoy the seasonal favourite for less.
Topping the rankings is Brussels’ Winter Wonders, where mulled wine is available for as little as £2.14 – about a third of the price of a mulled wine at the Manchester Christmas Markets.
Cologne Cathedral Christmas Markets and Strasbourg’s Christkindelsmärik share second place, with starting prices of just £2.56.
Other European favourites also feature prominently in the rankings. Budapest’s Christmas Market at the Basilica takes fourth place, with mulled wine costing £3.19, while Prague’s Old Town Square Christmas Market comes in sixth at £3.55.
Germany makes another strong appearance, with Dresden’s Striezelmarkt and Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt (which handily just launched new direct flights from Manchester) both offering mulled wine for £3.85.
Meanwhile, Vienna’s Christmas World rounds off the European entries in ninth place, with prices starting at £4.28.
For those planning a festive adventure further afield, Tokyo’s Christmas Market also makes the top five, with mulled wine costing £3.22.
However, not every destination offers such a bargain. Across the Atlantic, New York City’s Winter Village takes the title of the most expensive market in the study, with mulled wine costing a rather less festive £11.74. Chicago’s Christkindlmarket isn’t far behind, charging £8.80.
Manchester Christmas Markets start on Friday 6 November – we’ll see how our prices stack up then.
Sir Ian McKellen pays emotional tribute to long-time friend and fellow northern actor Sir Patrick Stewart
Emily Sergeant
Sir Ian McKellen has paid an emotional tribute to his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Patrick Stewart, following his death.
Sir Patrick Stewart – who was born and bred in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, and is best-known for his theatre work alongside an illustrious 60-year screen career, taking on prominent roles in franchises such as Star Trek and X-Men – sadly passed away at the age of 86, with his death being announced publicly yesterday evening (29 October).
And now, his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Ian McKellen, has paid tribute.
Sir Patrick and Sir Ian shared the stage together countless times over their decades-long careers, but also famously starred alongside each other in the X-Men franchise, and subsequent Marvel movies, as Charles Xavier/Professor X and Magneto.
The tribute, shared across Sir Ian’s social media platforms, reads: “Before everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England which he loved to the end. You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues. He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love.
“We first met as ambitious young actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company half a century ago but we weren’t in the same productions.
“My first strong memory was a few years later, meeting him in the street in central London when he told me about an offer to take over a leading part in ‘Star Trek’. “But Patrick think of your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?”
“Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did, for not just his devoted Trekkies, but film and theatre audiences who marvelled at his using international celebrity to star in a string of cinema successes (‘X-Men’ of course) and in great classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter and Beckett at Stratford-upon-Avon, in London’s West End and on Broadway.
“America was his adopted home, where he met his adored Sunny who has cared for him through sickness and health, through thick and thin.
“But he never forsook his origins: and the proudest achievement of the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic, was his appointment as Chancellor of Huddersfield University in Yorkshire.”
Emily Sergeant -
13th June 2025 
