Workplace bathroom anxiety is somehow both universal and completely unspoken. According to a new survey, 83 percent of Gen Z employees have felt it—and not in a mild, social discomfort kind of way, but in a way that makes them seriously consider quitting their jobs.
As the QS Supplies survey found, one in twelve Gen Z employees has thought about walking away after a single humiliating moment in the bathroom. Another 20 percent said they’d rather quit than talk to a manager about a bathroom issue at all. For a generation already tiptoeing through layoffs and LinkedIn toxicity, silence can feel like the only control you have.
This isn’t limited to Gen Z, either. Seventy-six percent of American workers and 75 percent of British workers said they’ve experienced bathroom anxiety on the job. Across the board, women reported it more often than men, by a margin of 24 percent.
Some employees try to time their breaks so they won’t bump into anyone. Others wait until meetings end, or avoid certain restrooms depending on who might be inside. A third admit to faking a work excuse just to leave their desks undetected. It’s a strategic dance around shame, one that plays out in offices everywhere.
When things go wrong, most people don’t speak up. Nearly half of U.K. workers and 46 percent of Americans said they wouldn’t tell their boss about a bathroom emergency, no matter how serious it got. Some have gone as far as hiding soiled clothes in the workplace. That’s not an assumption, either—11 percent of U.S. workers and 8 percent in the U.K. admitted to doing it.
The report also found that some workers resort to secretly messaging a colleague for backup, while others disappear until it’s safe to come back. People worry about being heard, being smelled, being judged, having their skirt or pants tucked all weird, or being remembered for something they’d rather forget.
This isn’t a matter of drama or delicate feelings. It’s the physical reality of having a body in a place that often pretends you don’t.
If companies want to talk about mental health, retention, or so-called safe spaces, this would be a good place to start. It’s a much bigger issue than anyone recognizes.
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