New Approval Workflow Requires 17 Signatures for Permission to Use the Restroom

The Department of Facilities Management unveiled a new Restroom Access Authorization Protocol on Monday that requires employees to obtain 17 signatures across four departments before using any lavatory facility on floors 3 through 7. The protocol, detailed in a 23-page policy document designated FAP-2025-003, was developed over nine months by a cross-departmental task force originally convened to address paper towel waste. 'We noticed that restroom usage was entirely untracked,' said task force chair Gerald Compliance. 'Employees were simply walking to the restroom whenever they felt like it. There was no oversight, no documentation, and no way to verify that the restroom visit was operationally justified.' Under the new protocol, an employee wishing to use the restroom must first complete Form RR-1 (Restroom Request), obtain approval from their direct supervisor (signature 1), their department head (signature 2), the Facilities Usage Coordinator (signature 3), and the Deputy Director of Floor Management (signatures 4 through 6, depending on the floor). The form then proceeds to the Office of Time Allocation for a productivity impact assessment (signatures 7-9), the Office of Resource Management for a water usage estimate (signatures 10-12), and the Health and Safety Division for an ergonomic review (signatures 13-17). Estimated processing time is four to six business days. 'We recognize this may cause some initial discomfort,' Compliance acknowledged. 'But proper governance requires proper documentation. We can't have people just going to the bathroom willy-nilly.' The union has filed a grievance. Three employees have filed medical accommodation requests. One employee on the fifth floor has simply stopped drinking water. Compliance noted that employees may submit an expedited request via Form RR-1E, which requires only nine signatures.