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For what it's worth, I was there for nearly 3 years (including when this article was written) and never saw that kind of bathroom behaviour. People seemed to f

For what it's worth, I was there for nearly 3 years (including when this article was written) and never saw that kind of bathroom behaviour. People seemed to follow the general unwritten rules. Conversations were rare, and where they did happen, the usual idle chatter that happens anywhere, while at the sink or waiting for a toilet to be available. I was there during one of the peaks in staff/toilet ratios. After getting rid of all of the 2 - 3 person offices and replacing it all with open plan office, and then packing us in even tighter (What they referred to as "high density" seating arrangements), actually getting to use a toilet was an extremely frustrating experience. With such a prominent gender bias, the male bathroom was constantly occupied, and a now infamous "toilet ticket" was cut (https://www.geekwire.com/2015/amazon-employees-biggest-complaint-not-enough-mens-bathrooms-for-all-the-dudes/ https://www.geekwire.com/2015/amazon-employees-biggest-compl...). Eventually they relented, and as new office floor space was opened up in new buildings, they agreed to reduce staff density and set a more practical staff:toilet ratio, along with adding in an additional toilet on every floor. side note: What would have really helped was if staff weren't selfishly spending 5-10 minutes sitting on the toilet browsing the internet or playing games on their phones. It rarely takes that long to do the necessary.

DanBC 9y ago
> side note: What would have really helped was if staff weren't selfishly spending 5-10 minutes sitting on the toilet browsing the internet or playing games on their phones. It rarely takes that long to do the necessary Most Americans don't eat nearly enough fibre so many people live in near constipation most of the time.
kartan 9y ago
> the male bathroom was constantly occupied I'm always surprised by this. Why not have unisex bathrooms? In most companies, I have worked the bathrooms are just one toilet and sink. That way anyone can use it. > What would have really helped was if staff weren't selfishly spending 5-10 minutes sitting on the toilet browsing the internet or playing games on their phones. I can't agree with that. Without actually knowing for sure (I will guess that you weren't looking at other people while they poo), you are blaming employees for the lack of toilets. But in the rest of your description, it looks like it's clearly the company that failed to offer the most basic needs. Timing your team workers bathroom times doesn't look like a good approach to solve the problem.
- brianwawok 9y ago
  > In most companies, I have worked the bathrooms are just one toilet and sink. That way anyone can use it. it cost more this way? All the companies I worked at in Chicago prime real state I can think of had gendered bathrooms, at least monthly. Common setup was 2 stalls 2 urinals and 2 sinks for the men (and I assume either 3 or 4 stalls for the ladies, depending on how tight they packed it). My guess it would take the same space to make 2 single use bathrooms as a single bathroom with 2 stalls / 2 urinals / 2 sinks. The throughput of a 2 stall / 2 urinal bathroom for men would be about triple the single bathroom setup, depending on your exact pee to poop ratio. And when you are counting dollars and cents, if a decision can save you from having another 600 square feet of bathroom space (at say $300 a squarefoot a year in lease), it can add up to some decent chunk of change (at perhaps the cost of some sanity).
  - kasey_junk 9y ago
    By that rationale we should replace urinals with troughs & remove stall walls. The model that makes the most sense to me is unisex small single rooms surrounding a set of sinks that can be shared. As long as you have kick plates on the doors you get similar size constraints, better privacy & queueing theory kicks in.
- jrnichols 9y ago
  > Why not have unisex bathrooms? Possible building codes. Or female employees that want their own restrooms. This was the case a few years ago in an office I was helping network. Most of the people thought that unisex bathrooms would be a great idea, except the female employees that demanded their own bathroom space, away from men.
- gaius 9y ago
  Why not have unisex bathrooms? Density of urinals vs cubicals obv.
- Twirrim 9y ago
  > I can't agree with that. Without actually knowing for sure (I will guess that you weren't looking at other people while they poo), you are blaming employees for the lack of toilets. Smartphones aren't silent. They're often quiet, but in a bathroom you can easily hear when someone is tapping on the screen, or pressing buttons. It's also pretty clear when someone is actually pooping or trying to poop. There are all sorts of small and/or loud sounds accompanying it.
xxSparkleSxx 9y ago
> What would have really helped was if staff weren't selfishly spending 5-10 minutes sitting on the toilet browsing the internet or playing games on their phones. Consequence of open offices? People need their alone time, this one's Amazon's fault too.
- gaius 9y ago
  Right, in the past if someone just needed 5 minutes to gather their thoughts they would nip out for a fag. Now noone does that anymore...
  - danielharrison 9y ago
    > nip out for a fag A once common sentence which, after not hearing it for years, suddenly contains connotations of rasism and heterosexism.
    - gaius 9y ago
      I am pretty sure that's just you, since the meaning is clear from the context. You should probably work on that.
    - occamrazor 9y ago
      I am not a native speaker. To me this sentence means just "to go outside for a cigarette break". What interpretation leads to racist/sexist undertones?
      - gaius 9y ago
        Well, if your mind is attuned to seek out offence at every opportunity, you might say that "nip" is short for Nipponese (like Brit is short for British Person) and "fag" is an old word for homosexual. But of course "Nipponese out for a homosexual" makes no sense and no one would ever say that...

DanBC 9y ago

> side note: What would have really helped was if staff weren't selfishly spending 5-10 minutes sitting on the toilet browsing the internet or playing games on their phones. It rarely takes that long to do the necessary Most Americans don't eat nearly enough fibre so many people live in near constipation most of the time.

kartan 9y ago

> the male bathroom was constantly occupied I'm always surprised by this. Why not have unisex bathrooms? In most companies, I have worked the bathrooms are just one toilet and sink. That way anyone can use it. > What would have really helped was if staff weren't selfishly spending 5-10 minutes sitting on the toilet browsing the internet or playing games on their phones. I can't agree with that. Without actually knowing for sure (I will guess that you weren't looking at other people while they poo), you are blaming employees for the lack of toilets. But in the rest of your description, it looks like it's clearly the company that failed to offer the most basic needs. Timing your team workers bathroom times doesn't look like a good approach to solve the problem.

brianwawok 9y ago
> In most companies, I have worked the bathrooms are just one toilet and sink. That way anyone can use it. it cost more this way? All the companies I worked at in Chicago prime real state I can think of had gendered bathrooms, at least monthly. Common setup was 2 stalls 2 urinals and 2 sinks for the men (and I assume either 3 or 4 stalls for the ladies, depending on how tight they packed it). My guess it would take the same space to make 2 single use bathrooms as a single bathroom with 2 stalls / 2 urinals / 2 sinks. The throughput of a 2 stall / 2 urinal bathroom for men would be about triple the single bathroom setup, depending on your exact pee to poop ratio. And when you are counting dollars and cents, if a decision can save you from having another 600 square feet of bathroom space (at say $300 a squarefoot a year in lease), it can add up to some decent chunk of change (at perhaps the cost of some sanity).
- kasey_junk 9y ago
  By that rationale we should replace urinals with troughs & remove stall walls. The model that makes the most sense to me is unisex small single rooms surrounding a set of sinks that can be shared. As long as you have kick plates on the doors you get similar size constraints, better privacy & queueing theory kicks in.
jrnichols 9y ago
> Why not have unisex bathrooms? Possible building codes. Or female employees that want their own restrooms. This was the case a few years ago in an office I was helping network. Most of the people thought that unisex bathrooms would be a great idea, except the female employees that demanded their own bathroom space, away from men.
gaius 9y ago
Why not have unisex bathrooms? Density of urinals vs cubicals obv.
Twirrim 9y ago
> I can't agree with that. Without actually knowing for sure (I will guess that you weren't looking at other people while they poo), you are blaming employees for the lack of toilets. Smartphones aren't silent. They're often quiet, but in a bathroom you can easily hear when someone is tapping on the screen, or pressing buttons. It's also pretty clear when someone is actually pooping or trying to poop. There are all sorts of small and/or loud sounds accompanying it.

xxSparkleSxx 9y ago

> What would have really helped was if staff weren't selfishly spending 5-10 minutes sitting on the toilet browsing the internet or playing games on their phones. Consequence of open offices? People need their alone time, this one's Amazon's fault too.

gaius 9y ago
Right, in the past if someone just needed 5 minutes to gather their thoughts they would nip out for a fag. Now noone does that anymore...
- danielharrison 9y ago
  > nip out for a fag A once common sentence which, after not hearing it for years, suddenly contains connotations of rasism and heterosexism.
  - gaius 9y ago
    I am pretty sure that's just you, since the meaning is clear from the context. You should probably work on that.
  - occamrazor 9y ago
    I am not a native speaker. To me this sentence means just "to go outside for a cigarette break". What interpretation leads to racist/sexist undertones?
    - gaius 9y ago
      Well, if your mind is attuned to seek out offence at every opportunity, you might say that "nip" is short for Nipponese (like Brit is short for British Person) and "fag" is an old word for homosexual. But of course "Nipponese out for a homosexual" makes no sense and no one would ever say that...