colleagues that stink

[disinfo]

Hi All.

I work with a guy that has a really bad BO problem, and when I say bad I dont mean an occasional whiff of onions on a hot day I mean rotting meat bad, it seems (smells) more like a medical problem to me.

My question is, if you were in my situation would you have a quiet word with the guy about his problem or leave him in his blisfull sweaty ignorance.

What would you want if you were in his situation? I presume most people would rather be told but you never know how people may react.

People are actually asking to be reallocated offices due to him, poor guy.

It can also be very embarrasing when we go out to customer sites.

What do you reckon?

 

[Bahco]

It is a difficult one.

Maybe your boss can send out a memo to all staff reminding them of the importance to company image of personal hygiene!

 

[crockett]

I would tread carefully. If he takes offence ( although by the sound of things your nostrils have been taking offence for a while ) he could report you. I think its up to his superior to speak with him, or, as was suggested, a memo to all employees. My dad worked alongside a guy who's feet reeked. He told him straight, albeit in private, of his offending appendages. He was ok about it, didn't realise.

 

[tim west]

It sounds like its not a "personal hygiene" problem here and i'd suspect that the person involved is fully aware of his problem and is petrified that someone will say something to him eventually.

Rotting meat smell? I once worked where there was one middle aged fella
who due to diabetes suffered with leg ulcers and the smell was exactly like rotting meat and very strong smelling in confined spaces we as his colleagues tried our best to tactfully mention the odour and that he needed to urgently consult his doctor regarding the seriousness of his potentially gangrenous wounds.

He was obviously very embarassed but also showed how frightened he was to go to his doctor in case he heard the truth of how serious his condition was and the consequences, People do worry that they might lose a leg or worse yet it doesnt occur to them that that is exactly what will happen if they do nothing about it.

 

[disinfo]

Im fairly sure its nothing as bad as that Tim, we had a staff football match recently (old folks vs young folks) He was on the old folks team and we thrashed them, but thats beside the point

Anyway, there were no noticable lesions or anything nasty like that, just glad I didnt have to swap shirts at the end!

It may well be some other condition, and you would think that he must know about it as he has a family, surely they must have said something?

I just feel sorry for the poor guy really.

Maybe your all right and I should have a word with the managers

 

[tim west]

Im fairly sure its nothing as bad as that Tim, we had a staff football match recently (old folks vs young folks) He was on the old folks team and we thrashed them, but thats beside the point

Anyway, there were no noticable lesions

smells can eminate from places you wouldnt have seen

Due to the highly concentrated sugary discharges from going to the loo diabetics can be susceptible to lots of different infections Thrush for one which they find hard to fight due to diminished resistance

 

[Bilioustrumpstaine]

I don't know how big your company is but this falls under the umbrella of personnel/human resource dept . If it is affecting other staff it must be addressed for all concerned.

In the absence of personnel dept then the guys line manager should deal with it. Not a pleasant or easy conversation however and a weak manager may try to avoid it.

 

[tim west]

Have to be careful here as it can be discriminatory, especially if the condition exists through medical reasons (highly infectious disease excepted of course)

 

[Blasphemous]

Have to be careful here as it can be discriminatory, especially if the condition exists through medical reasons (highly infectious disease excepted of course)

From a HR point of view Tim is right here however, this guy also has a duty to his employer not to cause nuisance to other members of staff. You as a member of staff are entitled to be able to carry out your duties in an environment that is acceptable to work in. If this guy is causing you and I would guess others to 'work around not having to spend too much time with him' then that is not acceptable to you or the business. If as Bilioustrumpstaine states, you have a HR/Personnel Department then they would normally deal with these situations to avoid any discrimination mentioned by Tim above. You should in the first instance raise this with your line manager and he/she should further pass this to HR. It may be that your line manager would rather that this be kept 'within your department' and deal with it themselves and that is fine as long as he/she knows the consequences if it all blows up in their face! But either way, you are entitled to have this dealt with in a reasonable time.

In my experience of dealing with people in this situation (only once to be fair but my wife who is Head of HR for her company, has dealt with it 3 times in the past), the people who have the 'problem' are:

1. Very embarrassed to be told.
2. Deny anything is wrong!
3. Usually clean up their act whether they accept there is a problem or not.

When HR deal with this they will NOT (or should not), tell the guy which members of staff have made the comments about his Body Odour. They should also instruct him not to discuss it with other members of staff. This is to avoid embarrassment on both parts.

With all of this my advice to you is to ask your line manager before hand, what you should say if any such situation should arise. It is important to keep a consistency about these things.

 

[RigidRaider]

Try working with some of our warehouse staff in Nigeria.....!

 

[Shytalkz]

Sounds like he needs a regimental bath...why do strawbs always beat around the bush? Get in there, strip the minger off, black his nuts with boot polish and sling him in an ice-cold bath, full of Vim and other esoteric niceties, then scrub him down with a yard brush.

I can guarantee that the pungent olfactory assaults will cease immediately thereafter

 

[Diyisfun]

I had to deal with a problem like this 1 day as the manager. I called the member of staff in & just told him that other people are complaing about your smell. Luckily it worked.

 

[disinfo]

Sounds like he needs a regimental bath...why do strawbs always beat around the bush? Get in there, strip the minger off, black his nuts with boot polish and sling him in an ice-cold bath, full of Vim and other esoteric niceties, then scrub him down with a yard brush.

I can guarantee that the pungent olfactory assaults will cease immediately thereafter

Take a little trip down memory lane there did you shytalkz?

 

[Shytalkz]

Uhuh

 

[kirkgas]

this happened in one of our offices, and HR were very precise to colleagues to say nothing to the girl as she would most likely use it as an excuse to go on the sick for a few months claiming stress, embarassment etc etc (this was certain to happen cause she had 4-5 months off sick with full pay EVERY year) aparently very long & difficult process to deal with!! our HR said it MUST be line manager to deal with, and had to be super sensitive, created a very bad atmosphere in the office with people changing lunch breaks etc so not to have to sit with her, it was BAD!!