In recent years, North East Water has embarked on a transformation journey that has seen a strong focus on gender equality and inclusivity. The organisation has experienced an increase in female representation in operational roles and continues to identify ways to better support female employees and encourage more female operators. The inclusion of appropriate bathroom facilities at our male-dominated sites is a crucial step towards fostering a more inclusive and gender-equal workplace.
North East Water’s Women in Operations group managed an audit of facilities across the authority. The results indicated that only a handful of sites had facilities for women and even fewer had sanitary bins. It was also identified that several corridors of operation had no facilities for either gender. Housekeeping was another key issue, as the audit showed varied levels of cleanliness and access to consumables, such as soap and toilet paper. This was largely due to the absence of a cleaning policy or standard expectation of site management across the corporation, and no professional cleaning services outside our corporate office and a handful of larger depots.
Most notably, the audit exposed some personal stories from female operators that were sobering for North East Water executives. Reports included female staff members admitting to using roadside bathrooms rather than those onsite due to a combination of lack of cleanliness or privacy. This presents an inconvenience and, as many staff often travel alone, amplifies the risk for potential assaults at these unsecure locations.
There were also stories of female staff members supplying their own sanitary bins and personally manage this waste, a practice that was not only unsanitary but also embarrassing. Another distressing incident involved a female operator being asked to perform work for several hours in a remote location without access to any facilities. This left them unable to manage their specific hygiene needs at the time, an issue they had to awkwardly raise with a supervisor.
There were many confronting stories that came to light through the audit process. When presented with the information, North East Water’s executive didn’t hesitate to act. The result was an immediate commitment to invest in professional cleaning services at all sites and sanitary bins in every location. Sites that could be retrofitted to accommodate a separate female bathroom were identified and, where practical, these sites are being reviewed for renovations. Design specifications are in all new infrastructure builds, including appropriate access to facilities. These costs are included in capital forecasts and in our upcoming price submission.
North East Water is also actively spreading the word, encouraging other water authorities to conduct similar audits to understand the status of facilities in operations.
Privacy is a fundamental right that should not be compromised in a professional environment. All staff should feel comfortable and secure in their workplaces. Maintaining proper hygiene in the workplace is essential for the wellbeing of all employees, and appropriate access to bathrooms ensures women have access to facilities designed to meet their specific hygiene needs. This includes the availability of menstrual hygiene products, disposal facilities and adequate space for personal care.
When women are required to request basic facilities, an onus is placed on them to initiate a change: a difficult task for a new employee. Many of our female operators have adopted a ‘grin and bear it’ approach rather than cause waves and potentially ostracise themselves from their work group.
It is important to recognise constraints imposed by budget limitations and competing priorities, as addressing the issue is far from a simple task. North East Water’s acknowledgment of the problem and their proactive steps to incorporate it into their forthcoming capital plans demonstrates their genuine intent to promote increased female participation in fieldwork. It also demonstrates the corporation’s unwavering support of current employees in carrying out their essential duties for the betterment of the region.
North East Water has taken important steps to remove one significant barrier for women working in operations, but the results have benefitted all employees and shone the spotlight on operational facilities more generally.
For more information on how your organisation can start the audit and review process, please reach out to the Women in Water Operations network.