Workmate personal hygiene issues

[24lemons]

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?

[glennjamin]

Get some shower gel and mail it to them in the office might get the hint !!

[extraT]

I had the same problem once (stinky colleagues, not me stinking!) I stood in the middle of the office, caught his eye, sniffed the air and said really loudly “what IS that stink”. He came in the next day showered and clean.

[Monkeylegend]

Wear a gas mask or find another job.

The first might prompt the question as to why, that is your in to tell them.

Or you could just mention to them both that they smell.

[Trying2GoFast]

Lynx box set for Christmas.

[JQ]

Speak to the manager and demand to know what exactly is being done and when things will improve.

We had someone similar in our office and they were spoken to very directly and told what needed to happen going forwards. Matter was resolved in 24 hours. I suspect your manager is scared to have the conversation.

[hammo19]

Arrange a secret Santa but only 2 names are in the hat and agree with everybody that shower gel packs are purchased and given.

[Zetec-S]

Light a scented candle?

[steveo3002]

ideal time of year for a few secret santa soap sets

[Monkeylegend]

Send them a strongly worded anonymous email.

[2HFL]

Had a similar situation with a lady who reported into me. It was raised directly with her (and communicated in the right way) and she was absolutely mortified, she changed her ways and the issue disappeared.

[vixen1700]

Still sticks in my mind, working with this woman back in the '80s who absolutely fking stunk.

Jeez, it was awful, and would have you literally wretching when you were near her.

Being the '80s and the kind of drinking culture we had there, it was easy to say to one of the bosses in the pub "Glen mate, have a word with ****** she stinks". Worth trying?
It did actually work and she started to freshen up a bit, which coincided with her not wearing horrible nylon blouses.

She also had an irrational fear of balloons and started screaming uncontollably around Christmas time when we decorated the office.

[119]

Just leave a can of deodorant on his desk when he isn’t looking.

Cheap and potentially effective.

[simon_harris]

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.

[dudleybloke]

I worked with a stinky bd years ago, the hints, both subtle and direct got ignored so we waited till he was in the small windowless toilet, pierced 2 cans of deodorant and threw them in and held the door closed.
This was a factory in Tipton though.

[AceRockatansky]

I had to tell a guy on the shop who had BO. So I told him pretty straight, he basically got upset, then things were difficult after that and others thought I bullied him.

Never again.

[vaud]

Don't do anything directly in the modern workplace.

It is a management issue and must remain so.

[LRDefender]

OP - you need to insist your line manager acts & if that means someone has to be brutally blunt thins be it.

I previously had a very large contract where one of the operatives truly stank, it would take your breath away if you were in a room with him. It was an utter embarrassment for everyone on the site. If I was in a lift and the doors would open & he would be standing outside, everyone would decamp the lift. He didn't twig with all the subtle and not so subtle hints. One day his supervisor sent him home and told to not come back until he had changed his clothes and had a shower.

He insisted that he showered everyday and washed his clothes but I felt he wasn't telling the truth. There was a possibility he was sleeping rough as the smell was so bad. I felt for the poor guy as he was genuinely nice but I think he must of just struggled with life and the stresses it brings. I do hope he's OK now.

[MBVitoria]

vaud said:

Don't do anything directly in the modern workplace.

It is a management issue and must remain so.

I'd agree. Raise it with management and hope they deal with it, otherwise you risk getting accused of bullying.

Being generous, there might be an underlying health problem.

[JackJarvis]

Threads like this make me really appreciate WFH.


I can smell as badly as I like and there's nobody to bother