Do your part to keep the office bathroom clean and tidy.
It's a delicate issue that no one really wants to discuss. But if you're going to spend eight hours or more at work, chances are you're going to need to use the bathroom -- and since the vast majority of people don't have their own private bathrooms in their offices, you're probably going to have to use a shared restroom. As with any other shared space, if the people sharing it do not follow basic etiquette principles, the office bathroom can quickly become unsanitary and an unpleasant place to be.
Instructions
1. Confirm that no one is in the bathroom stall before you push on the door by bending down and checking for feet. Door locks can break or get loose, and you do not want to accidentally barge in on someone.
2. Replace the toilet paper roll if you use the last of it. If a new toilet paper roll does not automatically dispense, get one from the supply closet or storage area and put it in the stall. If possible, put the fresh paper on the toilet paper dispenser.
3. Flush the toilet. Double-check that the toilet is clear; flush again if necessary. If you come into the bathroom and someone else has forgotten to flush, take care of the problem.
4. Wipe the toilet seat when you are done. It takes only a second to clean up any drips, and it's the only polite thing to do.
5. Keep the conversation to a minimum. A polite greeting to a co-worker is acceptable; an entire conversation between stalls (or urinals) is just uncomfortable. If you are in a stall and recognize a co-worker by her shoes, wait until you're both out of the stall before saying hello. But don't hang around waiting for her to finish -- stop by her desk for a chat later.
6. Dispose of feminine hygiene products in a sanitary way: wrap it up and throw it in the trash. If the maintenance staff has asked you not to flush them, don't flush them.
7. Leave the phone headset or Bluetooth device at your desk. The person on the other end of the phone does not want to hear your bathroom business, and you probably don't want to be the person who appears to be talking to himself in the men's room.
8. Wash your hands. Not only is it good hygiene, but when your co-workers witness you leaving the restroom without even a cursory rinse, your reputation can suffer as well.
9. Clean up the sink area after you wash your hands. Don't leave puddles or water spots everywhere, but take a second to wipe up your mess. Do your part to keep the shared space clean.
10. Stay home -- or go home -- if you are ill. Your co-workers don't want to hear, smell or see the effects of last night's bad takeout. Take a sick day until you're feeling better.
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