What are the laws in IL for bathroom access in a very small company?

I know it sounds stupid, but what are the laws in IL for bathroom access in a very small company? I'm the office manager of a very small company. I am generally the only person in the office. The office is located above a garage in the back yard of the business owners home. There is no bathroom in the office, and I am required to go into the house to use the bathroom. This isn't such a big deal, but the owner of the business is going on vacation for a week and expects me to drive down the street to go to the bathroom. He specifically asked me "isn't there anywhere else you can go to use the bathroom while we're gone?" I want to know what my rights are regarding this issue. He will not give me a key to the house while he's gone, and will not leave the door unlocked. What are my rights here? And if I decide to go to OSHA, first of all...will they even listen to my complaint? And second of all, am I protected from being fired for bringing this complaint to such an agency? I'm sure if somebody from OSHA came to inspect the office/property, they would find a lot more wrong than just a bathroom issue...

1 answer  |  asked Oct 20, 2009 09:59 AM [EST]  |  applies to Illinois

Answers (1)

Kristen Prinz
It sounds like you are dealing with an uncomfortable situation. You have the right to file a complaint with OSHA if you believe that conditions at your work site are unsafe or unhealthful. OSHA does take complaints seriously, but it is unclear whether they will find the situation to be unsafe or unhealthful. OSHA and other laws protect employees from being retaliated against for filing this type of complaint. However, the time frame in which you must report retaliation is very short. OSHA provides information for workers at this link: http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/worker/index.html

posted by Kristen Prinz  |  Oct 20, 2009 4:11 PM [EST]

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