My Co-Worker STINKS!

mr_eddy

Helpful advice wanted.

I work in a small (20ft x 20ft) office and my newly appointed co-worker STINKS of weed and B/O to the point where its so overpowering I have been sick on a few occasions just from the smell.

We only have 1 window which when open helps a bit but it makes the room very cold and my boss is so tight he won't allow any heating.

I don't care if my co-worker smokes pot or lives in a pot filled house but this smell he brings to the office is not fair on me.

What is the best way to deal with this, I am not going to say anything to him as he is the sort of person who work try and get me in trouble for harassment but then again I don't want to just let it go.

P.s Air freshner / Plug in stuff just makes it worse.

Please help !

byke68

If you can't beat them join them! No, sorry, being silly. Why not put load of aftershave/cologne on yourself, might mask the odour for a while.

Anonymous

Talk to HR, straight away. If you have a serious issue then you need to ensure that you follow due process to ensure that he can't get you for harassment.

It could take a while to fix, just make sure that it doesn't appear that you are "bitching" and ensure all minutes of HR meetings are logged.

Velonutter

Yep, always talk to HR, they should then deal with the matter discreetly.

cornerblock

Yes I would go see HR about puff n stuff. Sorry about that. :oops:

pdstsp

Many years ago when working in Yorkshire I had a similar problem with a co-worker in an open plan office. My boss at the time was what you might call "straightforward". He was in the office one day when the problem was being discussed and decided he would sort it out without any need to be diplomatic - he called the smelly lady into my side office and said "C, you stink. Go home and sort yourself out". Lots of tears but it worked. Mind you that was 1987.

More recently we had a problem in our small office with a lad on reception - quite difficult to broach but we just called him in and explained the problem and he did improve for a while. Unfortunately we then found him watching porn on the reception PC during the day so we had to sack him!!

capt_slog

As others have said, it's HR's job, if you're too small to have an HR dept, then it's your boss' problem.

I've heard of a few that have had to be sorted out this way, never pleasant for anyone but it needs doing.

sswiss

We have a similar problem here...oldish fella, I think it's linked to obesity. I don't think he can reach all the parts that require washing!

Anybody remember Pig-Pen from Charlie Brown...that "stink haze"...well it's the same this Bloke; he walks away from his desk and the smell remains...then gets up and follows him....

DeVlaeminck

If it's partly he stinks of smoke or smoking dope then it's a bit easier to raise the issue that way than say mate you stink. I'm sure we all remember when you could smoke in pubs you wouldn't realise your clothes reeked of it until the next day when you picked them up to put them in the washing machine. Presumably if he has a shower in the morning and puts clean clothes on to sort out the smoke problem it'd sort out any other smell problem - I'd just mention it to him directly that way - mind you maybe I'm out of touch with how easy it is to accuse people of harassment.

tlw1

Does he bring good snacks in? :£

arran77

Don't beat about the bush with this one.

Some years ago when one of the apprentices had a BO problem we just bought him a load of deodorant and left it on his desk for him to figure out

capt_slog

arran77 wrote:

Don't beat about the bush with this one.

Some years ago when one of the apprentices had a BO problem we just bought him a load of deodorant and left it on his desk for him to figure out

That's just reminded me....

My dad worked as a foreman at a place that made sinks. One of the men in his 'shop' had extremely bad smelly feet, really bad, they stunk out the entire bay. One of his fellow workers came in one day with a toilet block around his neck on a piece of string to make the point. Dad had to intervene to prevent murder.

lostboysaint

The worrying thing is that the OP hasn't been back for an update. Do you reckon he's choked to death on his own vomit?

slowbike

DeVlaeminck wrote:

If it's partly he stinks of smoke or smoking dope then it's a bit easier to raise the issue that way than say mate you stink. I'm sure we all remember when you could smoke in pubs you wouldn't realise your clothes reeked of it until the next day when you picked them up to put them in the washing machine. Presumably if he has a shower in the morning and puts clean clothes on to sort out the smoke problem it'd sort out any other smell problem - I'd just mention it to him directly that way - mind you maybe I'm out of touch with how easy it is to accuse people of harassment.

Not so easy if they smoke at home - I have a colleague doesn't smoke but the parents do. I think the clothes washing & drying is done by the parents hence the ever present smell of smoke ...
Fortunately it doesn't affect me as we work in different areas although our paths cross ...

joelsim

Yep, a deordorant and a shower gel on his desk.

MountainMonster

Have you tried pulling him aside and saying you don't mind if he smokes weed at home, but please don't smell like it at the office. Offer him a bottle of £2 Febreeze Air and Fabrics, and kindly request that he sprays himself before he heads to the office.

When I used to smoke weed a few years ago I had a colleague who did this with me, and if you are polite about it, i'm sure he will oblige. Most stoners are very kind people, who are also often self-conscious of the fact they smell of it, so he may not even be aware.

Also, there is no need to get HR involved in every incident. That will leave a seriously sour taste in his mouth if you don't approach him directly and deal with it in a calm and respected manner. Smoking weed at home is not a big issue, so there is no need to risk getting him fired over something which can be remedied so easily.

ddraver

Slightly agree with MM here...

Is this a case of an old person who CBA or a young person that needs to realise he doesnt have Mummy to look after him anymore and needs to grow up.

I had the latter put in my office once. I doubt he'd ever lived on his own without a parent or uni hall cleaner to sort him out. He was one of those people who was paper white and pasty even in high summer and smelt like a wet dog.

It took a long while I must say, and a few mentions but eventually (after I'd left i must say) he get his act together and sorted his life out, learned some social skills and moved onward and upward (and probably earns more money that me now!!!)

peat

Nice to know that my old housemate has found employment...

slowmart

Simply speak to HR or your immediate supervisor.


Take notes of the meeting and email the attendees and ask for a timeline for a solution. If you're still not happy ask to move offices.

Given your comments you should use the meeting to share the points you've made, various routes are then open.

Hitting this head on from a HR perspective isn't that difficult, however with no HR department your left vulnerable to the quality and training of your supervisor.

Good Luck.

arran77

All of this HR talk is way too heavy :shock:

mamba80

just tell him direct he stinks and if he doesnt do something about it, you ll dobin in for pocession of a class c drug.

the harressment thing is tosh, he is affecting your quality of life/work and you are the one being harressed by his stench.

crescent

Cornerblock wrote:

Yes I would go see HR about puff n stuff. Sorry about that. :oops:

I liked that

kingstonian

I wouldn't go straight to HR - they are far more likely to pick up their HR manual which alongside "drug use" tells them to fire the guy straight away. Have a chat with the bloke, if he doesn't sort it out them take it further.

Velonutter

I had 200 people working for me some years ago, although I find HR a pain in the butt, they kept people away from me having to do HR work.

When I started my own companies in the mid 90's I had 42 staff working for me and I spent 90% of the time being a Personnel manager and 10% trying to develop the business.

If I had the choice again I would have employed an HR bod and let them deal with the daily crap and let me be a Businessman.

So in situations like this, I'd let HR deal with it as it becomes an issue between HR and the employee, yep it might be heavy handed, but lets be truthful here, if I walked around stinking I'd make sure I had an extra shower or changed my antiperspirant, I wouldn't wait for someone to tell me.

MountainMonster

Guys, this is so simple. All it will take is a conversation or two, and he will be fine. Going straight to HR only tells me you people are simply shying away from facing the problem because you don't want to be the one to bring it up.

You are taking this way too far. Just talk to the guy.

priory

As a student I went through a period of not washing my clothes much and well exposed to smoke, although I showered every day . I did not have any idea that I needed to do something about it until someone explicitly said so in conversation . I was grateful at the time and since .
It should be possible to do that without anyone getting excited. Perhaps you could commence '' I need to say something and I want you to understand that this is not a personal insult but just a practical thing'' and tel him to wash his clothes as well as himself.
Not everyone has th facilities to wash everything easily , especially in winter. During the above period we had to melt the ice in the bath to use it and the launderette was a long walk and expensive.

By the way the best thing for smelly feet is hibiscrub solution twice a week or more often, and some people could do the rest of them with it too .
http://d2amf3s2cd7jqk.cloudfront.net/cd ... 641263.jpg

If your GP prescribes a pot of something and says rub this all over and wash it off twice a week , now you now why.

Captain Fagor

My money is on this being a small employer, and thus no HR department.

The lack of heating and (potentially) natural light would also be a source of concern for me.

Velonutter

priory wrote:

As a student I went through a period of not washing my clothes much and well exposed to smoke, although I showered every day . I did not have any idea that I needed to do something about it until someone explicitly said so in conversation . I was grateful at the time and since .
It should be possible to do that without anyone getting excited. Perhaps you could commence '' I need to say something and I want you to understand that this is not a personal insult but just a practical thing'' and tel him to wash his clothes as well as himself.
Not everyone has th facilities to wash everything easily , especially in winter. During the above period we had to melt the ice in the bath to use it and the launderette was a long walk and expensive.

By the way the best thing for smelly feet is hibiscrub solution twice a week or more often, and some people could do the rest of them with it too .
http://d2amf3s2cd7jqk.cloudfront.net/cd ... 641263.jpg

If your GP prescribes a pot of something and says rub this all over and wash it off twice a week , now you now why.

But it is a personal issue, what else can it be, and I went to college in the 70's and still managed to shower everyday even if it meant cold water and/or boiling a kettle and using a flannel to wash one down. Clothes were left to soak in the bath whilst I was at college and then when I got home hand rung and dried.

There is never a reason to smell of BO and/or have smelly clothes.

merkin

Tell him directly.
He will almost certainly take offence. Hopefully, so much offence that he leaves and you can replace him with somebody who washes properly.
I can't stand soap dodgers.

Mr_Cellophane

Two years working at sewage works killed my sense of smell.