Locking bathroom doors, is it legal?

Ruskanen

Ok, I've read all the previous posts about gross things that happen in the restrooms at work, but has anyone actually had a regular practice of locking the door so that employees wanting to use the restroom have to request a key? Is that legal to do? Anyone see any potential problems with that? We did that at our distribution center, but it was a smaller facility with fewer employees affected and I think they were happy because it kept the bathroom cleaner. Now we are considering doing it at our plant and more people will be affected.

Don D

Having no restroom facilities at all may raise a few eyebrows; but, locking the doors and requiring users to request a key is not illegal. It will, however, work some clerical employee pretty hard keeping up with the key and retrieving it and going to see that the door is locked after use. It's no different from the old Texaco key chained to a 16 inch board.

pork1

Yes, it is legal!

Get the word in plenty of time to educate every one and to let the employees who tend to be young and immature complaint and make all sorts of bold statements and then bring the lock on with a good working key and a sign out roster.

Some times the bahavior of the work force drives companies to do harsh things like this.

PORK

deniseE

I would also be aware that you are creating quite a job for the person in charge of THE KEY. It may seem like a simple and non-time consuming task, but I think you'll find otherwise.

Just be prepared and allocate work as needed.

Whatever

>I would also be aware that you are creating
>quite a job for the person in charge of THE KEY.
>It may seem like a simple and non-time consuming
>task, but I think you'll find otherwise.
>
Would this person be eligible for FMLA or are they a "key employee"? 8-}

irenesmsaclaims

I'm not sure I understand this. What is the benefit of locking the door? Aren't they the SAME people using the bathroom, with their unhygienic habits? Or, does the general public use your restrooms? Or, is this a way to track the culprits? A log?

And, the key employee would have to be counted differently in the non-discrimination testing of some of your plans.

Parabeaglex2

If you don't mind spending a few bucks, install a card lock system similar to what they use in hotels (not all that expensive). That way, if an employee complains that the bathroom is a mess when he walked in, a simple lock audit will tell you who entered the bathroom last.