Research by the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC) reveals the impact that the state of workplace toilets is having on workers.

The APHC surveyed over 1,000 workers in England and Wales asking about the condition of the toilets at their place of work. The research found 43.8% of the people felt their workplace toilets needed to be better maintained. When asked if their workplace toilets require updating or refurbishing, 44.4% said they did.

There are legal requirements for companies to maintain their toilet facilities to be clean and accessible. The results from the APHCs survey suggests this can also affect the working life of the employees so unclean facilities could be harmful for business.

John Thompson, Chief Executive of the APHC, said: “From a commercial point of view, investment in employee wellbeing is crucial for a business in order to be successful, as an unhappy workforce can cost employers dearly in reduced productivity, low quality levels, increased sickleave and staff turnover with the recruitment and training of new members of staff.”

London seemingly has the worst workplace toilets, with 50.9% of workers surveyed believing they need to be better maintained and require refurbishing.

On average, 16.5% of workers stated that the current condition of their workplace toilets negatively impact their happiness at work. In Wales this rises to 20% and then 20.9% in the south east of England.

The east and south east of England were overall most satisfied with their facilities. While the south west was most dissatisfied in the different categories.

Specific responses from the survey about the poor state of workplace toilets included there being bad smells, cracked tiles, broken toilet seats, toilet bowls, sinks and taps, poorly flushing toilets and tired and dirty decor.