Workmate personal hygiene issues
Discussion
24lemons said:
I have recently started a new job in an office with 7 other people. It is immediately obvious that two of my workmates have severe personal hygiene issues. One is simply BO and the other, well, I’m not sure what it is but it is a horrific cocktail of smells.
The other staff in the office are all aware of the issues and we have all spoken to the supervisor and some have spoken to the site manager about the problem. So far, we have been reassured that it is “being dealt with” but I have been here for a month now and it is already more than I can take.
The working environment is deeply unpleasant and I find it very distracting. While I appreciate it has to be handled delicately, there are 5 other people here who are suffering while we wait for something to happen. From what I understand, these issues predate by starting by some time so I have no confidence that anything will change soon.
What would you do in this situation?
It's a horrible conversation to have to have with someone as a manager, you've several really good examples in this thread of the bigger issues that could be at play. I've had it before where the person concerned was living in their car due to personal circumstances.The other staff in the office are all aware of the issues and we have all spoken to the supervisor and some have spoken to the site manager about the problem. So far, we have been reassured that it is “being dealt with” but I have been here for a month now and it is already more than I can take.
The working environment is deeply unpleasant and I find it very distracting. While I appreciate it has to be handled delicately, there are 5 other people here who are suffering while we wait for something to happen. From what I understand, these issues predate by starting by some time so I have no confidence that anything will change soon.
What would you do in this situation?
As others have said, speak to your manager again. I find it unlikely your manager has spoken to them if the issue persists, for a manager who's not had to have that conversation before it can be very daunting but they can't put it off as it's affecting the rest of you (highlight that point to them).
vaud said:
Don't do anything directly in the modern workplace.
It is a management issue and must remain so.
This is very much my view. I wouldn’t want to have that conversation with anyone and I have said as much to my supervisor.It is a management issue and must remain so.
I am sympathetic to the supervisor and to the individuals especially if health issues are to blame however, there comes a point where it isn’t fair on the other office users and something must be done.
The person with the BO is in some ways easier to live with as at least we know what the smell is. The other one though, it’s like a mix of wet dog, anal glands, mothballs and vinegar. It stings the nostrils!
MBVitoria said:
Being generous, there might be an underlying health problem.
There is no underlying health problem to excuse the stench. This is regularly trotted out as a reason. No, the problem is that they've can't be arsed washing themselves and/or their clothes and bedding. It's often the clothes and bedding that are the true culprit, usually through not changing/washing them often enough as they soak up their natural body oils/sweat and odours into the fabric and then goes stale and produces a horrific stench.I suffer with hyperhidrosis myself, particularly on my armpits. No off-the-shelf anti-perspirant will work. I can scrub myself in the shower and have minty clean pits but within an hour of wearing any kind of cotton top or shirt. my pits are streaming, and by lunchtime the fabric under my pits stinks of sweat. That's either with using anti-p (which seems to exacerbate the issue) or not using anything at all. I'm extremely conscious of it but luckily there is the God-send that is Driclor roll-on which works a treat at blocking up my pores for about 3 days per application.
My point is that regardless of the cause, there are solutions to all. Even had a mate whose clothes used to absolutely stink and he had no clue until I told him. Wasn't a hygiene issue, but rather he was leaving his wet clothes in the washing machine for the best part of a day after the cycle had ended before taking them out and when you do that they absolutely stink, especially if you don't do a regular vinegar deep clean on your washer.
As for how you broach the issue at work, definitely don't say anything to them yourself as the delicate snowflakes in the modern workplace would probably have you sacked and arrested for bullying and hate speech
. It's for management to deal with, although personally I would be setting up a disposable email address and informing them they are stinking the place out, please learn how to use a shower and work a washing machine 
.C5_Steve said:
It's a horrible conversation to have to have with someone as a manager, you've several really good examples in this thread of the bigger issues that could be at play. I've had it before where the person concerned was living in their car due to personal circumstances.
Yes if it is really bad and beyond a simple BO problem there may be something going on. One day in the office an older lady was smelling really badly, so bad you had to hold your breath to go by her cubicle. Next day she wasn't there and I seem to recall someone mentioned something about relationship problems, so likely been living in her car and not washing/washing clothes.
What to do when it's one of your managers that is the offender! Mine is extremely obese and I doubt they can even access certain parts of their body to wash.
Luckily I don't have to work 1 to 1 with them very often, but when I do I feel physically sick. A combination of cheese, arse, and BO. Truly sickening.
There are very few people higher up the chain than they, so I guess this will never change.
Luckily I don't have to work 1 to 1 with them very often, but when I do I feel physically sick. A combination of cheese, arse, and BO. Truly sickening.
There are very few people higher up the chain than they, so I guess this will never change.
Gary29 said:
What to do when it's one of your managers that is the offender! Mine is extremely obese and I doubt they can even access certain parts of their body to wash.
Luckily I don't have to work 1 to 1 with them very often, but when I do I feel physically sick. A combination of cheese, arse, and BO. Truly sickening.
There are very few people higher up the chain than they, so I guess this will never change.
"Fold-mould" is a thing.......Luckily I don't have to work 1 to 1 with them very often, but when I do I feel physically sick. A combination of cheese, arse, and BO. Truly sickening.
There are very few people higher up the chain than they, so I guess this will never change.
I'd be having a quite word with his manager to deal with it.....
Gary29 said:
What to do when it's one of your managers that is the offender! Mine is extremely obese and I doubt they can even access certain parts of their body to wash.
Luckily I don't have to work 1 to 1 with them very often, but when I do I feel physically sick. A combination of cheese, arse, and BO. Truly sickening.
There are very few people higher up the chain than they, so I guess this will never change.
They/them.Luckily I don't have to work 1 to 1 with them very often, but when I do I feel physically sick. A combination of cheese, arse, and BO. Truly sickening.
There are very few people higher up the chain than they, so I guess this will never change.
How many are there?
We worked with a stinker, he washed less than every month, you could tell when he’d had a wash, however it was the clothes that had soaked it up as well
One member is staff did indeed just say “Dave you need to wash more”
Hr did get involved as well
He did live alone and I think you must get lazy, you probably get used to your own stink and never notice
One member is staff did indeed just say “Dave you need to wash more”
Hr did get involved as well
He did live alone and I think you must get lazy, you probably get used to your own stink and never notice
Someone I used to work with had Crohns/IBS issues, she did loads of reading and all the online forums said to only use natural un-processed products, so that was all she ate and it helped,
She also had ezcema, so to help with that she research again and she read the forums that said to not use products to wash and to let your body produce all it needs and balance itself out, she took that to mean to stop washing, even if she wore clean clothes - no washing liquid or anything she stank, it was terrible, hr and management got involved, we suffered for 2 months until lockdown, when we all started heading back into the office everyone would try and work out what days she was going in and avoided that day, luckily she got another job and left,
She also had ezcema, so to help with that she research again and she read the forums that said to not use products to wash and to let your body produce all it needs and balance itself out, she took that to mean to stop washing, even if she wore clean clothes - no washing liquid or anything she stank, it was terrible, hr and management got involved, we suffered for 2 months until lockdown, when we all started heading back into the office everyone would try and work out what days she was going in and avoided that day, luckily she got another job and left,
kink stank. I don't think he ever washed himself or his clothes. Was grim. The worst I ever came across wasn't a co-worker, but a customer when I was working through uni in a shop. She clearly never washed herself or her clothes and she knew she stank as she tried to hide it with TCP.
TCP applied on top of filth and stale TCP - she's probably dead now - she must have been in her 70s 30 years ago. Apparently she was obsessed with saving water since her husband had died and that was why she never washed anything.
Being anywhere near her was vomit inducing and the smell would linger for ages after she had left the area.
TCP applied on top of filth and stale TCP - she's probably dead now - she must have been in her 70s 30 years ago. Apparently she was obsessed with saving water since her husband had died and that was why she never washed anything.
Being anywhere near her was vomit inducing and the smell would linger for ages after she had left the area.
simon_harris said:
As a manager the worst conversation I ever had to have was with a team member that had a BO problem. When I sat him down and raised the issue his first response was "I know" he then went on to explain that as a YTS he couldn't afford the bus fare so had to walk to work every day (about 7 miles) and because he was living with his parents, girlfriend and very young baby it was difficult to get a bath every day (no shower in the house) but he did have a sink wash every day.
His biggest concern was that we were going to release him (he was from a poor background and saw getting into IT as his only route to improving his life chances). From that day on I paid for his bus fare and made sure there was always some deodorant in his desk. and the problem went away. Sad thing is I can't even remember his name now! I hope he went on to do well.
That's a really kind thing for you to do. A great role model. Sounds like he was having a really tough time. His biggest concern was that we were going to release him (he was from a poor background and saw getting into IT as his only route to improving his life chances). From that day on I paid for his bus fare and made sure there was always some deodorant in his desk. and the problem went away. Sad thing is I can't even remember his name now! I hope he went on to do well.
This is a management issue and needs nipping in the bud pronto IMO. The longer it goes on, the more awkward it is to raise it with them and to successfully get it resolved. Perhaps the 5 of you who don’t avoid the shower could all raise concerns with management / HR which surely can’t just be ignored.
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