HRGuru

A key to the restroom might at least be something that we could threaten them with if the behavior does not stop. It's much better than any of the empty threats that we have been able to come up with.

This most recent incident is a new spin on things. The toilet blocking has been going on for about 6 months, but was also going on for a while a few years ago, before I started here. It's next to impossible to guess who it is.

Ok, so as disturbing as this is to me, I thought I'd research online to see why people do this to potentially understand it better from an open minded perspective.

I found several web sites that suggested this type of behavior in the name of "how to be an a**hole at work."  I also found several sites that listed this as a funny prank to do at work. Several more cited this as an action of revenge against "The Company."

Putting those aside and assuming that your employees are hopefully above that, there seems to be a link to those with autism, those who are mentally disabled (at a clinical level), and those who have had some traumatic experience that has locked the offender in a pre-pubescent sence of humor.

Not sure if this answers your question, but maybe it will give you some ideas of who might have something in common with I found above.  there is a quick snippit of a study done by the Univ of San Antonio, you may want to contact the researcher for a better understanding and possible resolution.  Link to article

I wish you the best of luck in getting this resolved as it just plain disgusting and uncivilized. 

Sincerely,

csprau

Thanks!  Great suggestions!

Dude, with all the fingerprints in the workplace, this person would be smart enough to lift a good copy of someone else's print and make a latex fingerprint master which they can wear on their finger without much chance of identification or suspision.   Don't you watch Mission Impossible or CSI?

Put the crapper in the manager's office and make him/her open the door for whomever needs to take a dump!   If the manager is in a meeting or on vacation, the peeps gotta go to the corner gas station.  Problem solved!

hehe, I have to admit, I don't watch Mission Impossible or CSI....I'm not into dramas.  So, you thought of a clever, criminal angle that I had not thought of.  Maybe posting someone at the door who can check after each use would work if you only have one stall, but otherwise.....

The truth of the matter here is that you have an employee who is wasting company time and probably being a less than desirable employee in other aspects related to his work. Employees should be notified and warned before any action that could potentially affect their employment status takes place. It would be wise to call the "gentlemen" together--each shift--and lay down the law. A key to the restroom would not be a bad idea but you start to infringe on privacy issues (what if one of the guys has ulcerative colitis and has to go frequently--do you want to make a spectacle out of him?) AND you start to punish the majority who aren't doing anything wrong.

I would advise the staff that this situation is costing the company valuable resources--time and money--to repair the problems. Warn them that if it doesn't stop, the company will take steps to identify the culprit and discipline, possibly including termination. If there is an employee there who is THAT unhappy, there is something wrong with either the company or the employee but I'm voting for the employee. Does your company have a suggestion program? Does the staff feel that they have a voice in the operations? Better yet, does your company have an anonymous tip line? Chances are, this little trick isn't a secret amongst some folks and one might be willing to divulge the guilty party if they didn't feel they would be reprimanded. Bottom line, you've got to find the culprit and discipline accordingly.

It is a shame that people will stoop so low and to such filth to make a point or just be a jerk.