Manager Questions How To Address A 'Smelly' Employee Whose Odor Makes Co-Workers Sick — 'She Is Such A Kind Person And Does Good Work'
He was unsure how to go about having that conversation with her without making her feel shamed or judged.
fizkes | Shutterstock A manager admitted that he found himself in a tough position after receiving complaints about an employee's body odor. While it was unfair for co-workers to feel uncomfortable due to the unpleasant environment, telling an employee she was the source of the discomfort seemed impossible.
Posting to the subreddit r/managers, he questioned how to confront the employee without seeming too harsh and rude.
A manager turned to Reddit to get advice on how to address a 'smelly' employee whose odor was making co-workers sick.
"I have an employee who, most of the time, has a musty smell that travels with her through the office. It’s pretty bad like she’s skipping a shower a few days," he began in his Reddit post. He explained that over the last several days, the odor had gotten so bad that it caused another employee to feel sick, as well as him.
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He admitted to using Lysol spray on the chairs she sat on.
He attempted to have a conversation about it with her, politely informing her that he wanted the two of them to have an open and honest dialogue about the fact that everyone has different body chemistries and needs different products to address that. He informed her that there was a specific odor coming from her and questioned if it was normal or if something else was happening that she needed help with.
She denied that she smelled. He hoped, however, that her denial was just a knee-jerk reaction, and she took his concerns to heart.
Thinking the situation had been addressed to the best of his ability, he was shocked when a couple of weeks passed, and the odor persisted.
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"One of the physicians I work with and one of my employees brought up to me that there was a rank smell (they are not aware of previous conversation), and that one of the employees had to leave the office for a bit because she felt sick," he continued.
People can be unaware that they may not smell the freshest, and it can also be something out of their control. Whether that's a medical condition or a lack of resources at home to properly care for themselves. No one should ever be made to feel judged and criticized for not smelling good, especially considering the other factors that should be taken into consideration.
In this case, it seemed that the manager and the woman's colleagues had tried to handle the sensitive issue with empathy, but perhaps they had been too gentle in their approach.
The manager knew he needed to talk to her again about her body odor, but he was unsure how to do it.
"I have no idea how to approach it without offending her," he admitted. "The problem is I’m addressing it when it is RANK, but there is a consistent less intense smell as well."
Having to confront her again about the issue is even worse because of how kind she is. According to the manager, she always goes above and beyond with her work.
Unfortunately, if her smell is causing a disturbance with other employees to the point where they're leaving work early and unable to finish their work, then a more serious discussion needs to be had.
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It's definitely an uncomfortable conversation to have with someone, but possibly bringing in HR or an outside professional to mediate and make sure that she doesn't feel singled out or shamed could go a long way. According to SHRM, referencing the employee handbook and grooming and hygiene policies could be helpful, as well.
Maybe there just needs to be a more direct conversation, but with compassion and understanding because at the end of the day, it seems as if she either doesn't realize where this smell is coming from or doesn't know how to address it herself.
It's a delicate situation that needs to be handled with care. The manager needs to focus on the facts, including how her body odor impacts others in the office and how it's important that everyone comes to work tidy and clean.
The conversation certainly cannot end with her denying the issue exists as she did the first time.
At the end of the day, as long as he's approaching the situation with empathy and a desire to not make his employee feel as if she's being picked on or called out, then it should be able to get resolved!
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.