Toilets and toileting at work

In many countries employers are obliged to provide adequate toilet facilities and to allow people a reasonable amount of time to use them. However, in some jobs such as call centre or checkout work, employers may encourage employees to take fewer toilet breaks, while in some work environments access to toilets may not be easy.

If you have a bladder or bowel problem, access to toilets is essential. It is not always easy to be open with an employer but, if you are concerned that the facilities or time available to use them are not sufficient, you might consider raising this, in confidence, with your employer.

You could ask for extra time or, if urgency is an issue, to be situated near a toilet. A letter from a healthcare professional outlining your condition can often be helpful in this situation.

Here are some tips to enable you to manage your bladder or bowel problem discreetly and reliably:

• If you have urinary urgency and / or bladder leakage and are not always able to get to a toilet consider using more absorbent pads and choosing clothing that disguise them effectively.

• If you are male, consider using a sheath and urine collection bag or a body-worn urinal which allow collection of greater volumes of urine compared with many pads.

• If your job involves driving long distances you might consider having a handheld urinal in the vehicle.

Storage at work

If you have a locker at work, this can be useful to discreetly store products , and avoids you having to bring products in every day. If not, you can always use a ‘work bag’ as an alternative. If you don’t routinely carry a bag, a rucksack, small holdall or laptop bag can offer a discreet alternative.

If you drive to work, you can store spare products and clothing in the boot of the car in a sports bag for any emergencies. Lockers and bags may also be used to store wet/soiled pads and/or clothing, until they can be discreetly moved or disposed of.

Clothing at work

Having a spare change of clothes can be a useful back up in case of leakage. Selecting replacement clothes that match what you are wearing that day means that no one will notice that you have changed. Clothing that is patterned or dark in colour (navy blue or black) is better than light colours for hiding wet patches.

Clothes that are easy to remove and put on again make changing products easier and can be more quickly removed if you experience urgency. Some clothing types or specific items can make managing bladder and bowel problems easier. See the sections on Clothing, odour and skin care for women and men.

Disposal of products

Disposal is often an issue for people who use continence products, especially when away from home. This can be more difficult for men as men’s toilets rarely have suitable bins. Consider taking plastic bags either to wrap products in before disposal, or for storing them until they can be disposed of later.

Furniture and vehicles seats

If you are required to sit for long periods - for example in an office, at a checkout, or while driving - you may be concerned about leakage onto the seat. You might consider using a re-useable chair pad. If you are concerned that this may attract questions from work colleagues, you can simply use a cushion, which can easily be justified for comfort or back problems.

Work colleagues

For some people, telling a few key people at work about their bladder and bowel problems makes it easier for them to manage them successfully. Many people who have told colleagues find their response understanding and accommodating. Going to the toilet more often or for longer or disguising the use of products can become less of a problem than when nobody knew.

However, this is a highly personal and difficult decision, and you are the best person to judge whether it may be helpful or not.

Travelling on business

Work-related travel can involve some particular issues. Careful planning can make things much easier.

The Travel section contains a great deal of advice about traveling while managing a bladder or bowel problem.

Eating and drinking at work

Drinking and eating regularly is important. For people with bladder and bowel problems, there is always the temptation to cut down on what you drink and eat when away from home including when at work. However, dehydration and lack of food can have a huge impact on your health and ability to function well.

Strategies to reduce the risk of problems and ensure adequate fluid intake include sipping small amounts of water throughout the day and avoiding caffeine-based drinks. You may already know about certain drinks or types of food that irritate your bladder and/or bowels, and avoiding these during working hours can also help.

Odour and skin care

Many people with bladder or bowel problems worry excessively about associated odours, and are very concerned that others will think they smell. Although this is rarely the case, it is an understandable and natural concern for many people, particularly due to the stigma around bladder or bowel conditions. Some simple strategies can reduce the risk of odour:

• Using effective products and changing or emptying them regularly
• Throwing away disposable wet or soiled products as soon as possible.
• Carrying a packet of ‘wet wipes’ for cleaning skin of residual urine or faeces.
• A ‘hand-size’ fragrant spray or room deodoriser can be used to mask odour but sometimes their smell attracts attention. A deodorant or perfume spray can be a more subtle alternative.
• Some workplaces have showers for employees which allow more thorough washing to keep clean and fresh throughout the day.

Work kit for dealing with incontinence

The following list of equipment (by no means exhaustive) may help those with continence difficulties manage work-based problems:

• Extra bag to carry ‘continence kit’
• Continence pads and pants or other products
• Barrier cream
• Change of clothes
• Toilet paper / water-based wet wipes
• Sealable plastic bags or scented bags
• Travel urinal (male/female)
• Disposable protective gloves
• Skin cleanser
• Deodorant spray
• Antibacterial gel