Employers are overjoyed about this newest toilet design, but their employees — not so much. These newly designed toilets will significantly reduce how long people spend on bathroom breaks. Many people go to the bathroom during work to find an escape, just for a few minutes. Are these new toilets worth the money? Will they improve employee morale… or employer?
Extended Bathroom Breaks
You’ve probably experienced a day or two at work where a long bathroom break was needed. Whether it was due to spicy food, or if you just needed some time to yourself, it was necessary. However, it’s not just you. It seems like more and more people have been enjoying the benefits of long bathroom breaks at work.
“According to the results of a survey conducted by Protecting in July 2019 across 8 UK cities, the “average” bathroom break in London was 28 minutes and 35 seconds. This implies that companies may be losing up to two and a half hours of working time per week for each employee.“[1]
Interesting Engineering
It seems that employers are leaning towards this slanted toilet option in order to reduce the amount of working time lost. How can a slanted toilet keep people working and out of the bathroom? The 13-degree slant becomes uncomfortable after just 5 minutes.
Read: Reusable Toilet Paper Is A Thing And People Are Really Divided
The Slanted Toilet
Mahabir Gill, founder of StandardToilet, was inspired to create this after living with multiple annoyances in the workplace. According to Wired.com, “Gill sometimes discovered workers asleep on the toilet, and in his free time, was increasingly annoyed by queues for public toilets. The final straw came while he was shopping, and in desperate need for a toilet, could only find locked cubicles. Thus, the idea for the StandardToilet was born.”[2]
Gill chose the 13-degree angle for a good reason, he says.
“Anything higher than that would cause wider problems. Thirteen degrees is not too inconvenient, but you’d soon want to get off the seat quite quickly.”
Mahabir Gill to Wired
The website for the slanted toilet, Slanty, claims health benefits as well. Employers are citing these claims as another reason to install them in the workplace.
“Can a toilet really help with health and wellbeing? It may seem odd that such a simple and integral part of any home, public place or organisation can actually offer such benefits but it can.”
Slanty
Slanty promotes bold claims all throughout its website regarding the multiple health benefits it offers.
“The ‘slant’ naturally and subconsciously deters users from sitting on the toilet for prolonged and often unnecessary lengths of time. There is an increase, particularly among men, who use the toilet as a place to sit and relax and use mobile phones but unknown to most users this is actually an unhealthy habit that can lead to painful haemorrhoids and weakening of pelvic muscles.“[3]
Slanty – Health Benefits
Overall, it sounds like a pretty good idea, right? Health benefits and improved muscle strength all from a slanted toilet! But, who really benefits from these?
Who Benefits from Slanted Toilets?
Approved by the British Toilet Association in 2019, the Slanty toilet ranges from $200 – $700.[4] When Gill spoke with Wired.com, he made it very clear who his target audience is and who will be purchasing them.
“Its main benefit is to the employers, not the employees,” says Gill. “It saves the employer money.”
Gill to Wired
However, not everyone is thankful for products that are designed to force productivity. When working in a small space, a crowded office, or a busy restaurant, it’s nearly impossible to find a quiet space. We all need some private time or space to ourselves, and sometimes a lunch break just isn’t enough. Compassion should exist in a business place as well, shouldn’t it?
“In an office, the one space you have where you can find privacy is often the toilet,” says Jennifer Kaufmann-Buhler, assistant professor of design history at Purdue University in Indiana. “So, god forbid that we want to make the one place where workers should have at least some autonomy – the toilet – another place where people impose the very capitalist idea that people should always be working.”
Wired
What are your thoughts on this design? Would you appreciate a slanted toilet at your workplace? If you own a business, would you buy these for your employees? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
Keep Reading: Personality Test: The Way People Hang Toilet Paper Might Reveal Lots Of Interesting Things About Them, Expert Says
Sources
- “Sorry, No More Long Bathroom Breaks at Work Because of This Toilet.” Interesting Engineering.
- “The corporate poo patrol is coming after your precious toilet time.” Wired.
- “Slanty Health Benefits.” Standard Toilet
- “PRESS RELEASE: “SLANTY” Innovation in Toilet Design.” BTA.
