One in three UK workers use their phone on the toilet

27th of October 2016
One in three UK workers use their phone on the toilet

According to new research from Initial Washroom Hygiene, a third of UK workers admit to being on their smartphone while using the toilet, and almost one in 12 even consume food and drink there.

The study questioned 1,000 office workers in the UK, to mark Global Handwashing Day recently, and to understand the state of hand washing habits in office environments.

A third (32 per cent) of UK workers questioned said that they use their smartphones while in the office washroom, with Facebook (60 per cent), WhatsApp (36 per cent), playing games and emailing (both 18 per cent) the most popular activities. And 13 per cent even admitted to making phone calls from the cubicle. Most worryingly of all, around one in 12 (eight per cent) said they had eaten food in the office washroom.

Perhaps understandably, British workers are concerned about their colleagues' washroom habits. Almost half (49 per cent) would be ‘disgusted', and a quarter would be ‘concerned', if they knew a colleague didn't wash their hands after visiting the washroom. Almost four in 10 (38 per cent) will avoid shaking hands with people they know have just left the washroom, while a quarter would be uncomfortable with a client or important business stakeholder using the same office toilets as the general workforce.

The survey also questioned office workers in Australia, France, Germany and Malaysia (1,000 in each country). The Germans lead the way in hand hygiene, with 87 per cent of workers reporting to always wash their hands after using the washroom, compared with 83 per cnet in the UK, France, Australia and Malaysia.

Brits are less likely to use their phone in the washroom than Australians and Malaysians (40 per cent), but did not perform as well as the Germans (21 per cent) and French (31 per cent). Australians are the most likely to consume food and drinks in the washroom, with 11 per cent of respondents admitting to that practice.

The research across the five nations also found 45 per cent of workers who did not always wash their hands blamed external factors such as being in a hurry. The washroom environment was cited as the biggest contributory factor, with 50 per cent of respondents blaming an aspect of the bathroom for driving them away.

In fact, 16 per cent said they avoid washing their hands when the smell is bad, 20 per cent when there is no soap or towels, and 15 per cent when the hand washing facility is not clean.

 

 

Our Partners

  • ISSA Interclean
  • EFCI
  • EU-nited