Walgreen Company is an American business commonly referred to and addressed as Walgreens, this American business owns the second-largest chain of drugstore stores in the country, after CVS Health. It has particular expertise in photo services, health and wellness products, and prescription filling. Illinois’s Chicago, where it was created in 1901 is where the headquarters is located. In previous times, the names had changed multiple times. Some of the names it had used in the past are Walgreen Drug CO, Walgreen Druid Stores, and Walgreen’s. Now, Walgreens has more than 8000 stores nationwide. Let’s know more about Does Walgreens Have a Public Bathroom?
Walgreens functions as a drug store and doubles up as a pharmacy. Customers walk in when they are feeling sick and they get attended to by health professionals who attend to their medical needs and prescribe the drug that should be administered for the customer to feel better. Then, the customers are expected to purchase the drug at the drug store. What happens when customers have illnesses like diarrhea and they have the urge to use the bathroom? What if the home of such a person is far away?
How To Locate the Bathroom Inside a Walgreens Store
Locating the bathroom in a Walgreens store is very easy. All you have to do is look around for the “restroom” sign at the top of any door. In most places, you will find it towards a corner at the back of the store. That’s it, very easy!
There are instances when you’re extremely pressed and you don’t have the time to begin looking around in search of the “restroom” sign. In situations like this, the best thing to do is to ask the nearest employee for directions to the “restroom”. Immediately, you’ll get the answer you want.
Is the bathroom at Walgreens for the public?
The bathroom in the entirety of Walgreens 8000+ stores across the country can be used by anyone. Unlike Walgreens, the majority of the stores out there do not allow the public to make use of some toilets. Walgreens doesn’t do that. You can be sure of that.
All customers are allowed to use the bathroom but they are all enjoined to be careful while using it and ensure that it is never used dirty and unkempt to ensure the bathroom is clean for the next user to use with ease. Also, the bathroom of an establishment like Walgreens must always be kept clean.
Walgreens makes sure that the bathroom is cleaned regularly and properly maintained by other users.
If you get to the bathroom and you discover it to be in a bad condition or unhygienic for use, your best option is to bring it to the notice of the employees and request to have it cleaned.
Criticisms and Lawsuits Faced by Walgreens
There has been a new policy since 2018 in Walgreens. This new policy was a result of a major lawsuit faced by the organization. In the new policy, everyone is now allowed to make use of any bathroom that is designated for the gender identity they claim without any form of discrimination.
The policy came into play when one of the customers – Jessie Mehan pushed for a change in the policy of the organization with the help of the ACLU. It was after an event where she was disallowed to make use of the toilet designated to the gender she claims. She saw it as discrimination since their decision to disallow her from using the toilet was solely based on how she was dressed.
She asked a female clerk to use the restroom after making a $20 purchase, but she was allegedly refused entrance because of the way she dressed. Meehan said in an interview with the ACLU, “She told me I looked like a male and I needed to use the men’s room.” She reported that after she requested to speak with a manager, the manager warned her that her request was against store policy to permit customers to use the bathroom of their choice it should be purely based on how they look. Meehan emphasized in an email to Walgreens, “I had to go so I didn’t put up much of a scene and used the stalls while the males used the urinals next to me. This in itself was embarrassing for me, and I felt embarrassed.”
She had written a letter to Walgreens describing what had transpired as well as her suggestions about how to address this issue, but they never responded to her.
After the policy had been passed, customers have now been allowed to make use of any bathroom that syncs with their gender identity.
Conclusion:
According to a directive from the ACLU, every individual possesses the right to make use of the restroom that is in correspondence with the customer’s gender identity irrespective of their birth sex.
The ACLU social staff attorney Amanda Goad explained that all citizens and non-citizens need uninterrupted access to the restroom. The California law guides the right of all people to make use of restrooms depending on their gender identity in schools, business centers, and workplaces. All businesses and organizations have to ensure that employees understand this.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are Walgreens and Walmart the same?
No, they are not. They are two different companies that do almost nothing in common. The work they do doesn’t affect each other.
- Can I have a covid-19 test done at Walgreens stores?
Yes, Walgreens now offers free covid-19 tests for everyone above the age of 3 years. Also, home testing kits are provided for interested individuals.
- Are Walgreens’ bathrooms always clean and ready for use?
The bathrooms in Walgreens are cleaned regularly and proper maintenance is ensured. People have been allowed to make use of bathrooms of their choice related to their gender identity since 2018 in Walgreens.
