A co-worker has really bad body odor

[Jackson_Slugger]

From what we heard is he’s claiming a medical condition for the body odor. I guess HR is now involved and we will see what happens next.

If a person does have a medical condition, does the other 90 workers have to suffer with his body odor?

I think it's going to be hard to claiming not showering is a "medical condition". If he is allergic to soap or has a skin condition or something okay but there are alternatives...

 

[Soft Cars]

I had the same problem with a classmate while attending community college. I went to the school's bookstore during break and bought a Mennen Speed Stick. I put it on his desk before the classroom filled back up. I think he got the message. He name was 'Jim Heater.'

 

[Finklejag]

With the zero workplace tolerance these days. You can’t just go up to someone. You will be the first to be fired for harassment. The supervisors get paid to do this. You might end up first on their kill list too.

 

[atikovi]

Live with it and breath through your nose when he is around. Can't be any worse than when someone reheats fish or cheese in the break room microwave. Only in this country are we so obsessed with odors.

 

[Soft Cars]

With the zero workplace tolerance these days. You can’t just go up to someone. You will be the first to be fired for harassment. The supervisors get paid to do this. You might end up first on their kill list too.

I used to work at a big box store. It was always the women that had the worst smell. They figure cheep perfume is better than no perfume.

 

[RazorsEdge]

You should see the lack of hygiene at our gym. People leave without taking a shower,get into their vehicles just like no big deal

 

[Soft Cars]

You should see the lack of hygiene at our gym. People leave without taking a shower,get into their vehicles just like no big deal

What I hate about the gym is the people constantly spraying disinfectant on the benches and the equipment. When I get home, I take a shower to get the disinfectant smell off of me.

 

[RazorsEdge]

What I hate about the gym is the people constantly spraying disinfectant on the benches and the equipment. When I get home, I take a shower to get the disinfectant smell off of me.

Well, if people would take the time to wipe the nasty sweat off the equipment then it wouldn't be a issue.

 

[Soft Cars]

Well, if people would take the time to wipe the nasty sweat off the equipment then it wouldn't be a issue.

They do wipe the sweat off, but they can't do it without spraying down the disinfectant first. You wouldn't believe how many germaphobes there are that go to the gym.

 

[RhondaHonda]

Live with it and breath through your nose when he is around. Can't be any worse than when someone reheats fish or cheese in the break room microwave. Only in this country are we so obsessed with odors.

Sounds like something a stinky person would say. .

Working near someone that isn’t clean is disgusting. Shower once a day and wash your clothes regularly and I think that should take care of it.

 

[vavavroom]

BO is nothing. I once worked with a guy who had fleas. A lot of fleas. In fact, he had all of them. Refused to get rid of them on religious grounds. Can you believe it? Luckily, DEET doesn't have much of a smell. I was protected well enough but I don't think I made a dent in his population.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

I feel for people that sweat profusely ..... sitting at a desk. I've seen office workers with soaking wet underarms.

One thing I've been blessed with is little sweat glands underarms and I don't have much stank. Bring on some humidity, 74 degrees and me having to do a little work and I'm soaking wet, head to toe, but no stink.

 

[flash7210]

I've been told I stink.
Working in 100 degree weather, completely soaked in sweat, I know I stink.
You stink too.
Get over it.

Get showered with soap
Put on clean clothes.
Move on.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

I work at a blue collar union job and one of my co-workers smells really bad. This person works swing shift and his shifts overlaps with dayshift. I work dayshift and I we are in the same area for about an hour before I go home. This guy is probably 6’5 300+. This person stinks up the whole breakroom when he‘s at work. When we come into work in the morning, the chair he sat in the night before is impregnated with his stench. Dayshift told the morning supervisor about this issue, swingshift told evening supervisor about the issue. The weather hasn’t been above 50 degrees until recently. It been a cold winter and spring here. If this person has body odor when it’s cold out, I can’t imagine how he will smell during the summer months. It makes you gag walking into the breakroom when he’s working. One of the supervisors took him aside and talked to him. From what we heard is he’s claiming a medical condition for the body odor. I guess HR is now involved and we will see what happens next.

If a person does have a medical condition, does the other 90 workers have to suffer with his body odor?

I wouldn't be surprised if it was the fact that because he's continually sweating the bacteria on all of our skin has a nice place to live within the folds of his damp skin. Hygiene habits can help obviously. I tread the day when I develop that "old person" smell and I'm unaware of it. LOL.

 

[PF52]

I knew a guy who had a hernia injury (or something?) deep down inside and he never did anything about it and it never healed, and it started to rot. Ever smell a dead animal that had been sitting out in the sun for a few weeks? That's exactly what this guy smelled like.

 

[jeepman3071]

With the zero workplace tolerance these days. You can’t just go up to someone. You will be the first to be fired for harassment. The supervisors get paid to do this. You might end up first on their kill list too.

Yup 100%.

The fact that he is claiming it is a medical condition means he has been down this road before and is well aware that he smells. Since he is pulling the medical card, your employer won't touch the issue with a 10ft pole as they don't want to be sued.

 

[flash7210]

If medical, should be easy to verify by a doctor
https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/co...is a disorder in,like rotten or decaying fish.

 

[dumkid]

there's 2 kinds of stink. there's sweat, and then there's the i haven't bathed.... ever stink. here in Arizona everyone smells like sweat all summer (getting into a 130f car will do that to anyone) so it doesn't bother me.

 

[nomas]

i used to work with a guy that could get pretty funky , especially in the summer . He was pretty paranoid about a lot of things and deodorant was one . It was the aluminum . No Magnolite type cookware either . He also distilled his water .

 

[zzyzzx]

Aren't there websites that send out anonymous emails that you can use to inform the stinky person?

And I was expecting this thread to be about farting.