Encamp Sports Complex Faces Backlash Over Cleaners Entering Men's Changing Rooms

Users at Encamp's sports and cultural complex have raised concerns over cleaning staff entering men's changing rooms while they are in use, prompting calls for clearer protocols to prevent discomfort for both visitors and workers.

The facility, currently at peak capacity during the winter season due to an influx of temporary workers in the parish, faces multiple challenges including waitlists for day passes for non-residents, complaints about access control, and persistent occupation of lockers. Regular users report unease when female cleaners access the changing rooms, even though staff always request permission before entering. Some members noted that while cleaners are polite, individuals in the showers may still feel exposed, leading others to use the male changing area at the adjacent pool for more privacy.

Encamp commune officials confirmed receiving a suggestion on the issue months ago and just one formal complaint. They maintain that cleaners announce their entry to avoid disturbing anyone.

Judith Pallarés, director of the Andorran Women's Institute, stressed that the sports centre's management should implement stricter measures. She highlighted that companies must have anti-harassment protocols—and larger ones, equality plans—to avert risky situations. Basic steps, she said, include set cleaning times, temporarily closing changing rooms during service, or advance user notifications, as practised in other public facilities. Pallarés emphasised it is the gym's leadership responsibility to establish and enforce internal rules.

Gabriel Ubach, general secretary of the Andorran Trade Union (USdA), echoed this, blaming poor organisation on centre management. He called it "abnormal" for cleaners to enter while users shower, insisting defined schedules and enforcement would protect everyone's dignity. "Neither workers nor users should bear the fallout from an overwhelmed facility," he added.

Similar pressures exist at the Pas de la Casa sports centre, with full day passes and a waitlist exceeding 300 people. To address capacity, Encamp commune launched a full renovation in late October, publishing a tender in the BOPA for architectural design and project management. The works carry a €6 million budget.

The issue mirrors controversies in Spanish gyms, where user privacy complaints and worker sanctions sparked debates on labour rights. There, no specific national rules govern changing room cleaning during use; it falls under general privacy laws, labour regulations, and internal policies. Andorra lacks dedicated rules too.