‘Aggressive’ toilet sign at ANZ bank’s global headquarters slamming ‘disgusting and shameful’ women sparks uproar: ‘If using a toilet is something new for you…’
A sign allegedly posted in a toilet at ANZ bank's global headquarters in Melbourne has caused a stir online after criticising female staff for leaving 'accidents' behind, in language branded 'disgusting' and 'aggressive' by those who saw it. The notice, shared by Instagram page 'theaussiecorporate', warned that such behaviour was unacceptable for a "6-star building" and threatened consequences for offenders, prompting widespread reaction on social media.
The sign claimed a "few ladies" had left messes for cleaning staff to deal with despite daily cleaning and disinfection, describing the situation as "disgusting, shameful and unhygienic". It stated that CCTV outside the changing rooms and hourly inspections would allow management to identify those responsible, and claimed some names were already known, with threats to report offenders and cancel memberships. The note closed with a pointed offer of "training" for anyone who needed help using a toilet. An anonymous tip to the Instagram page, from someone claiming to have worked in the building over a year, described "many ghastly incidents" that had affected cleaning staff; ANZ has been contacted for comment.
- ANZ HQ toilet sign scolding women over 'accidents' sparks online backlash
- Sign cites CCTV, hourly checks, threatens to report or name offenders
- ANZ yet to respond to Daily Mail's request for comment
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ANZ is one of Australia's largest banks, and its global headquarters is a large office building in Melbourne known as ANZ Centre. A sign reportedly put up in a toilet at the building has been shared widely online after criticising unnamed female staff for leaving the facilities in an unhygienic state, using language many have described as unusually harsh for a workplace notice.
The image was first shared by an Instagram account called "theaussiecorporate", which regularly posts about corporate culture and workplace incidents in Australia, often based on anonymous tips from staff. The sign reportedly referenced CCTV monitoring, inspections and possible consequences for those responsible, which is part of why it drew attention and criticism online.
The story matters because it touches on how large employers communicate with staff about workplace conduct, and where the line sits between addressing a genuine hygiene issue and using language seen as demeaning or excessive. ANZ has been asked for comment, and it is not yet confirmed who wrote or authorised the sign.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Those sympathetic to the sign's intent argue that persistent, genuinely unhygienic behaviour in a shared workplace facility is a legitimate management and health concern, and that cleaning staff who repeatedly encounter such conditions deserve to have the issue addressed firmly rather than left to fester through polite, easily-ignored reminders. From this view, management has a duty of care to staff who clean the facilities, CCTV and inspections are reasonable tools to identify a genuine ongoing problem, and blunt language, while undiplomatic, reflects frustration after presumably milder requests failed to change behaviour.
The case against
Critics argue the notice was disproportionate and demeaning, publicly shaming an entire group of female staff for the alleged actions of a few, using sarcastic and infantilising language ('if using a toilet is something new for you') that no professional workplace communication should contain. They contend that surveilling staff via CCTV near changing rooms raises serious privacy and dignity concerns, that threatening to name individuals and cancel memberships is heavy-handed compared to lower-key remedies such as direct, private conversations, and that the tone risks humiliating innocent staff while doing little to actually solve a hygiene issue that could be addressed through respectful, targeted communication.