The council was finding it hard to recruit people to a seasonal job to open, close and clean Brighton and Hove’s public toilets, a councillor said.
She called for better pay to make the jobs more attractive but a leading Labour councillor said that, despite the challenges, most of the vacancies had been filled.
Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Bridget Fishleigh said: “I know two of the seasonal people left because they basically said it wasn’t worth £14.50 an hour. It was quite stressful and difficult and not very pleasant.”
Brighton and Hove City Council is advertising for seasonal toilet cleaners to work 37 hours a week on a rota – four days on and four days off – for the equivalent of up to £26,824 a year.
Labour councillor Tim Rowkins, the council’s cabinet member for net zero and environmental services, said that recruiting to the toilet cleaning team was difficult.
But, out of 15 roles, there were only currently two to three vacancies, he told a meeting of the full council at Hove Town Hall.
Wages were “banded” across the council and Councillor Rowkins said that there was a “high bar” to justify offering a higher wage.
He said: “I would love to be able to double the number of staff we have in our public toilets and extend the opening hours both in the morning and in the evening.
“It is a very expensive service to run. Thankfully, we have some very willing and very well-meaning and very community-minded businesses and partners in the city.”
One of them, Babble at the Beach, on Hove seafront, had agreed to extend the opening hours of the public toilets in the new sports hub building.
And Hove Park Tennis Club had also agreed to extend the opening hours in the toilets there.
At the meeting on Thursday (23 July), Councillor Rowkins also thanked Councillor Fishleigh and her Rottingdean and West Saltdean ward colleague Mark Earthey for opening and closing the Undercliff public toilets, in Ovingdean.
Brighton living wage is not enough to attract and retain attendants. The application process is too complex
So if 13 of the 15 vacancies were filled, I’d argue that it clearly is enough… Surly the application process isn’t that complicated either, otherwise they wouldn’t have any staff.
Besides the article said the councillor knew of two people who quit because it was stressful… How can mopping a toilet block be stressful. Sounds like the council dodged a bullet with those 2 quitting.
I think it’s a bit more involved then mopping a toilet block. Some toilets can be pretty dire, even inside places like pubs.
I can’t imagine it’s a pleasant job, id rather be flipping burgers.
Wouldn’t it be money just flushed down the pan?
Realistically, I feel public toilets need to be funded by a tourist tax for long-term sustainability.
Make toilets more attractive with gentle piped music and Brighton scenes on the walls. Even if there were a 20p admission charge, it would be worth it for nicer facilities and staff who are proud to work in them. The Victorians were incredibly proud of their public toilets and built some amazing ones, which almost became a tourist attraction in their own right. Councils have lost all vision in public toilet provision.
You were absolutely against the proposal for charging for public toilets. What changed?
Are you for real…obviously you haven’t tried to use the toilets on the sea front, I feel for the attendants trying to keep them clean ( most people that use them are disgusting) and treat them like crap.
The staff need paying around £22 per hour.
They are not legally required or funded to provide public toilets
They were not legally required to provide VG3. Which isn’t even of public benefit.
Except it is of public benefit, and detailed as such within it’s documentation. Some may argue the amount of public benefit, but it is one nonetheless.
They should use AI. Tap your card to get in, if you shart or pee on the floor instead of the toilet, it altogether docks you £50. If you manage not to make a mess, as if it was your own house, you get charged a quid.
Call it a service charge and the staff get to divvy it up every quarter. Sounds more than fare
And where does AI come into it?
Artificially Incontinent
They don’t exactly break sweat they’re always on unofficial breaks and smoking their heads off , guzzling coffee and gossiping typical council employees , brainless autonomotons
Do come and spend a day with us toilet attendants. Your comment makes my blood boil.
You have no idea how hard it is working in an extremely hot environment. Myself and my colleagues work extremely hard to keep all of the public toilets within Brighton and Hove clean and tidy
And a fine job you do too. Some of us are grateful for the tireless work you guys do for us Helen, especially considering the state the public leave them in. Keep up the good work.
You obviously haven’t kept up with price of coffee and smokes, not cheap these days, minimum wage makes it less affordable.
And the toilet comment goes to you sir. I love nothing more than people slagging off council workers, who generally are extremely hard working and under paid, who without we would struggle to have the basics of society. Imagine if they all went on strike for a month and imbaseals like Michael+Barry had to deal with their own rubbish, weeded and swept and resurfaced their own pavements, as it is they can’t even use a public toilet properly.
Be annoyed at councils but don’t be lame with the staff, it’s snobbery at it’s worst.
Surely cllr Wokeins is too busy saving the planet from climate apocalypse?
Considering what some public bathrooms end up looking like; they themselves could be called a climate emergency! In seriousness though, the cleaning team do a good job.
Nah, she’s to busy coming up with green ideas on how to waste more money on stuff resistants don’t use
I assume the council budgets for maintenance without too much thinking so why can’t they apply proper funding for wages ?? It’s not like they don’t know about pay and pensions when it comes to themselves.
Because that’s far to simple. If you do that, the bin men will kick off, then the street cleaners, so you say ok let’s up the wages there. Then you’ll have the teaching assistants saying it’s sexual destination because they get paid less (even though it’s a completely different job)
Before you know it, you’ve just blown £10 million quid and got sod all back for it.
I believe all of them are on more than the “living wage” toilet cleaners wages are basically,,,, in the toilet
I didn’t need to read a public toilet as a sexual destination, even if it’s partially true.
Yes do try Michael + Barry i for one would love to see your faces.
I work next to one of the toilets…..staff try there best to no avail. Plus the abuse that thay have to take.
Toilet attendents work 12 hour days 6am-6pm and look after several toilets for Brighton living wage
The public toilets that I have always used are always in a complete mess, locks are always broken, toilets are never flushed, I can never find any toilet paper, hardly any water comes out of the taps, hand driers are never working, there are no paper towels to dry your hands, there is no air conditioning in the public toilets, public toilets are always very smelly, and I can never find any help or assistance when I need it.