Issues with a coworker ....

[Kimmielee]

Random thought here, but I am reading this thread and cracking up laughing at all the google ads showing up at the bottom of the screen - remove arm pit odor, no more body odor, wipe out body odor...

I noticed that a couple of nights ago when I posted about buying a Saturn Vue or a Toyota Highlander.... it's amazing how the ads will rotate and FIT the subject matter....

 

[poohandwendy]

I think I would type up an anonymous letter, gentle prodding is important here, and leave it on the co-workers desk. If that didn't work, I would go to the supervisor again.

 

[Disney Doll]

So she's extremely large and doesn't bathe and therefore smells? I assume a skinny person who didn't bathe wouldn't smell? My point being, why mention her size. The issue is not bathing and smelling, which would happen regardless of whetehr she was heavy or thin.

Go to HR. This is an issue that must be addressed by someone. If they refuse to do it, find out who or what entity is aboive them, and go to them. Keep going up the ladder until you get to the person who has to address it.

 

[poohandwendy]

Random thought here, but I am reading this thread and cracking up laughing at all the google ads showing up at the bottom of the screen - remove arm pit odor, no more body odor, wipe out body odor...

LOL, I JUST started another thread about that. I noticed it and wondered why specific words were allowed on the banners, but filtered in the posts.

 

[mytwotinks]

I was the supervisor and a close co-worker of one of these people. I told him that I was embarassed to bring it up, but I thought he would want to know. He was also embarassed and I promised him we would forget this conversation happened, and never mention it again. Some time later he asked and I told him the problem was corrected. I hope he learned from the situation.

It sounds like you handled it about as best as possible! There really isn't a good way to tell somebody they stink!

 

[mytwotinks]

My DH has a long time friend (army buddy) who we see maybe once a year now. To say he reaks, is putting it mildly. He's a long distance truck driver, & when we shows up, he stays over. OMG, my house would smell for days. I used to put the sofa cushions outside in the sun to air out. Wash the bed linen. Lysol the house.

The man knew he smelled. We just didn't discuss it. (Oddly, my cat Lucy who didn't really like anyone but us, would always go to him & let him pet her. )

Well, a few years ago, when he came around, he didn't smell quite as bad. He brought up the subject & told us that it was a medical problem & he was now on some medicine. And it sorta basically sounded like he was thanking us for putting up with it.

I don't know all the details. Its not something we wanted to discuss before or since. All I know, is it appears he leads one lonely life. late 40s. No girlfriend that I've ever known of in the last 20+ yrs. A job that has him alone most of the time. And he lives in his truck, when not home with mom. He had a dog with him on the road, but someone stole him.

I was just wondering if there might not be a medical reason that might make a person have odor issues. I am sure that the majority of the time it is a hygene issue though. How nice of you to be so kind to him over the years. I really hope that now that he is getting treatment he can make some friends and not be so lonely.

 

[poohandwendy]

Good point mytwotinks, also hygene preblems canbe a sign of clinical depression. He/she really may need to be evaluated by a doctor? I dunno, it's gross though and it should be addressed by management. But, if I didn't get aywhere that way, I would definitely leave a note on their desk.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

So she's extremely large and doesn't bathe and therefore smells? I assume a skinny person who didn't bathe wouldn't smell? My point being, why mention her size. The issue is not bathing and smelling, which would happen regardless of whetehr she was heavy or thin.

Have you ever been around someone obese who has, um, how can I say it delicately, lots of fat rolls?? When someone who has them, and has them bad, doesn't bathe, it's quite a different scent than a skinny person with B.O. When gunk and whatnot doesn't get washed out of those places, it can get REALLY bad.

I need to lose about 20 pounds myself so I am the last person to be casting stones, but this may be why the OP mentioned her size.

 

[VSL]

I'm with Lindsay. When you're larger your body perspires more to keep cool, and if it's in an enclosed area (ie, arm-pit or, if you're very large, between rolls of fat) it's going to get stinky.

mrsstats - maybe you could mention to your boss that it is anti-perspirant which was thought to be linked to cancer, not deodorant, as it blocks the pores? Maybe she'd like to check out www.lush.com - they have solid deodorants, but no anti-perspirant.

(am I even spelling 'perspirant' correctly?!)

 

[dazeddaisy]

I feel your pain.

Some who sits close to me always smells. Summer, Winter, and even in the rain, they smell. I tried to be suttle and gave her a basket of soap etc from Lush, for Easter, but its still sitting on her desk because it looks so pretty.

My office has approached the manager and HR, but they tend to ignore any issues that the contractors have, especially if its with another contract worker.

That said, I know sometimes I smell, its the job I work in. Sometimes we are stuck at work for 36 hours or even more due to deadlines. I try to keep a spare shirt, deodrant and underwear in a draw, but I forget to replace them once I have used it.

 

[snickerharley]

There is a sub-heading in the employee guidebook entitled personal hygeine. The person has been spoken too, and I complain quite often, but unfortunately nothing has happened. The person wears the same clothing almost everyday! I wish I cound confront this person or even leave an anonymous note but I have been told that I could possibly be fired for this type of action. It is just disgusting and I feel (maybe it is selfish) that I should not have to work in a possible toxic environment, this smell cannot possibly be good for anyones health. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions

 

[RUDisney]

Are you complaining verbally or in writing? If you are complaining verbally, it is considered heresay and they don't have to act on it. If they don't act on your written complaint, even if it is just to meet with you and tell you, "sorry, Charlie," they can get into trouble.

 

[clhcpaca]

I know I might get flames for this but here goes....I work with an extremely large person, who everyday comes in to work reaking of body odor. The smell is to me extremely toxic, it makes it hard to breath and be around this person. On top of that the person has a rude attitude and demenor to other co-workers and customers, the person also does not like to physically work eventhough the job requires physicall labor. I don't know what to do.........I feel it is unfair to work in a "toxic" environment where confrontation is an everyday thing. This person has also been talked to before to no avail.

Just curious......Why the reference to the coworker being "extremely large"----Do you REALLY think that is why they smell???? Couldn't you have just said coworker and left out the other two words I think I would have more sympathy if your prejudices were showing so much...but I guess alot of people in this thread seem to have those prejudices.

Cindy

 

[Jessd]

DH works with someone who raises pigs. She comes in smelling like she has been rolling around with them. He said it is just awful, so he can relate.

 

[Chicago526]

My last job my then supervisor had to speak to someone in my department. She was a little weird to begin with and generally not to "clean" looking on most days. But I guess it got really bad for about a week and the co-workers directly around her complained the supervisor about it (I sat on the other side of the department so I didn't notice a smell, but she did look more disheveled than usual). I'm not sure exactly what was said, what I got out of of was hearsay but I guess my supervisor, as nicely as she could, said that she needed to improve her hygine and asked her is she was having any problems in her personal life, and reminded her we had an EAP if she wanted someone impartial to talk to about anything going on in her life, and it was all 100% confidential. She cleaned up for the most part, but of course no one knows if she contacted the EAP.

 

[Arielle22]

Are you complaining verbally or in writing? If you are complaining verbally, it is considered heresay and they don't have to act on it. If they don't act on your written complaint, even if it is just to meet with you and tell you, "sorry, Charlie," they can get into trouble.

There is no law that states a complaint has to be in writing. Companies may have policies that should be followed but even if a policy isn't followed no law is broken.

Also a company doesn't have to give any response to any complaint. It is good to acknowledge a complaint was lodged but most HR depts won't tell the complaining employee the results of the investigation. If your coworker complained about you, would you want your coworker told what was going to happen to you?

Usually a company wants a complaint in writing so that HR knows what it is dealing with ahead of time and so the employee cannot deny making the complaint.

 

[jbdreamer]

We have one of those guys at work. We call him Kris Greasy - KG for short. His hair always looks like he combed grease into it! And he wears the same outfit the entire week! We have joked about anonymously leaving a bottle of shampoo on his desk.

Someone must have said something to him though because he suddenly isn't greasy anymore. Hey look, it's KG without the G!

 

[Snowysmom]

I too am wondering why being extremely large has much to do with someone not bathing and smelling. Anyone, regardless of size, who does not bathe or use deodorant is going to smell. Even if you have "fat rolls", if you use good hygiene, you won't smell. If they are lazy in their job too, people of all sizes are lazy at work. Both these issues need to be resolved by management/HR.

 

[RUDisney]

There is no law that states a complaint has to be in writing. Companies may have policies that should be followed but even if a policy isn't followed no law is broken.

Also a company doesn't have to give any response to any complaint. It is good to acknowledge a complaint was lodged but most HR depts won't tell the complaining employee the results of the investigation. If your coworker complained about you, would you want your coworker told what was going to happen to you?

Usually a company wants a complaint in writing so that HR knows what it is dealing with ahead of time and so the employee cannot deny making the complaint.

I went through issues with my boss about a year ago. He had told me that countless people had complained about something that I said. He couldn't quote what I had said. He wanted to write me up about it and wanted me to sign his warning without the advice of counsel. I went to my atty and this is what he told me. No matter how many "people complained", since he couldn't provide one name or any evidence of a complaint, then none existed and he was creating a hostile work environment for me by causing trouble for me where none existed.

He said that if there is nothing in writing, then there is no complaint. There were other legal issues in the way my boss handled me and I could have had a huge lawsuit against him because of the things he was doing/saying about me at that time.

By not acting on a written complaint, and no, HR doesn't have to advise you how it was handled, or by not following policy, the employees can cause trouble because of the hostile environment that has been created. Hostile because you can't work when you can't breath.

That's why I always would put a complaint in writing to HR.

 

[Disney Doll]

Have you ever been around someone obese who has, um, how can I say it delicately, lots of fat rolls?? When someone who has them, and has them bad, doesn't bathe, it's quite a different scent than a skinny person with B.O. When gunk and whatnot doesn't get washed out of those places, it can get REALLY bad.

I need to lose about 20 pounds myself so I am the last person to be casting stones, but this may be why the OP mentioned her size.

And would it be acceptable if the OP had said "I work with an Indian person who always smells like curry and I find it offensive. What can I do?" Or how about "I work with a European perosn who doesn't bathe regularly and it offends me. What can I do?"

My point being, any person, large or small, who does not bathe regularly, will smell. A large person with "fat rolls" as you all so "delicately" put it who bathes regularly won't smell any more than anyone else. The issue is bathing, not weight.