Toilets never fail to tell you a lot about a place, be it the type of restaurant, village, town, airport, shopping centre, whatever….the toilet experience always provides a little insight into culture.  Company latrines are no different – they tell you much about the corporate culture.

Therefore finding this executive lavatory right next to the employee privy in the Hong Kong office of a leading Asian company this week was very telling and amusing.

It’s one thing having an executive level to squirrel away all those very important demi-gods, but asking senior leaders to use the left door and everyone else the right, rubs hierarchy into your face. I was tempted to see what the difference was but my security pass would only let me in through the right door. Yes security pass! I fear the survival of those poor souls who accidentally try to gain access on the left only to raise an interloper alarm somewhere in a secret security room. It does make you wonder what special treatment the executives get.  Mind you if you believe the analogy that companies are like trees full of monkeys: those at the top look down to see smiling faces, whereas those at the bottom look up and see a lot of…..well you can guess the rest, and perhaps it explains the need to be squeaky clean at the top!

Nick Thomson, London