So my workplace is entirely men. I know that’s pretty typical in blue-collar industries, but the bathroom situation has been driving me insane.

We all share a toilet. With shift work, the guys generally being pretty untidy, and a cleaner who doesn’t do much more than a quick once-over, it gets grotty fast.

When I started here there was no cistern lid on the toilet. Just an open tank. I later found out it had already been missing for over a year before I even arrived.

The bathroom in general was also pretty neglected. Years of soap scum on the walls, no proper cleaning supplies, etc. I actually had to beg management just to get soap, and eventually ended up getting on my hands and knees and scrubbing the walls myself. Obviously that’s not remotely in my job description, but asking for a clean bathroom apparently was too much.

For the past six months I’ve been asking my boss if we could just get a replacement lid for the toilet. Every time there’s a new excuse:

	•	“You don’t use the cistern anyway.”

	•	“The toilet works fine.”

	•	“It’s too expensive.”

	•	“I can’t find the right size.”

	•	“We’re getting a whole new toilet in June.”

(Highly unlikely)

Today I arrived at work and my colleague goes, “Hey, you finally got your cistern.”

So I go into the bathroom expecting maybe they actually fixed it.

Instead I find a piece of MDF cut and placed on top of the cistern.

Not sealed. Not fitted. Just a chunk of MDF sitting there.

MDF isn’t waterproof, it’s not sanitary, and we work in food and beverage manufacturing. The level of complacency here honestly blows my mind.

Am I crazy for thinking this is unacceptable?

Asked for a cistern lid. This is what management installed.