Smelly Co-Worker?

[silver_corolla]

Six Tips for Bringing Up Personal Hygiene Issues

If you work in a cubicle environment and sit next to someone who has a personal hygiene problem that is hard to ignore, you may be suffering when you don't have to.

People typically feel uncertain about bringing up issues on this topic for two obvious reasons: One, it's not as if hygiene is insurmountable -- it’s more of a convenience issue. Two, the other person just might be hurt, humiliated or offended.

We often look at the balance between cost and benefit and choose to continue to suffer. In fact, the fear of humiliating the other person can be so great that some people absolutely refuse to ever attempt to bring up the problem.

Here are some helpful tips on what to do when discussing what could be an embarrassing topic:

1. Keep the scope of this problem small and the tone breezy and relaxed.
Don't even think about mentioning that everyone but the person with the problem knows about it. This is an important data point for why you should say something, but it would be far too insulting to actually say aloud.

2. Be very careful in your use of terms.
While there is no word that doesn't carry with it a bit of a stigma, words like "stink" or "offend," certainly don't work. Similarly, don't go for politically correct or cute language such as "hygiene impaired." This isn't a laughing matter.

3. Start the conversation by sharing your good intentions.
The last thing you want to do is make others feel like you are attacking or blaming them. You want them to feel safe discussing the issue, so begin by making it known that you have their best interest in mind. For example, "I wonder if I could talk about something that would help me out at work a bit. It's not a huge deal, but it's worth mentioning."

4. Limit the scope of the problem.
Once again, don't say it's been going on forever, is causing you huge grief, or that everyone else has talked about the issue. Since it's the first time you've brought it up, treat it as something that has only recently become an issue.

5. Keep the discussion private.
This means not only during the conversation, but also after. This will help the other person feel safe talking to you and remedying the problem.

6. If it's feasible, try to give the other person an out or excuse.
For example, "Recently I get the feeling that maybe you've been exercising before work or something. In any case, we work so close together that I'm wondering if we can talk about a change that's affecting our working environment." At this point, you've delicately placed the problem in the open and the quicker you finish the discussion, the better. Accept any excuse they might come up with -- bogus or otherwise. This is all about helping the other person save face. Once again, keep the tone easy and relaxed.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember as you approach such a highly sensitive topic is that you care about the other person and want to help him or her address the issue without feeling humiliated in the process. Keeping this in mind will go a long way toward setting the tone and helping an awkward discussion go quickly and smoothly.

[wrecker]

hirap nito.. ang pinoy pa naman very sensitive and pinepersonal lahat ng bagay

[chua_riwap]

Sa akin, kung may maantot sa tabi ko, tiis na lang para iwas gulo. Daanin na lang sa air freshner. O di kaya, takip na lang ng ilong. He-he!

Sa Pinas di masyado yan. Usually mga Pinoys naman pumapasok sa office na bagong ligo at nagpapabango pa. Pero, sa mga foreign trips ko, notorious yung mga Arabs, papasok sa office na dehins goli, minsan may muta pa. Kahit sa Singapore, ganyan din, amoy maasim sila. Pansin mo di naligo, kasi yung buhok, kung ano hitsura nung natulog, andun pa yung pagkakahulma sa unan. Madalas yung shirts nila, di plantsado.

Pero kung di ko na talaga matiis, sinasabihan ko deretsahan, wala nang hiya-hiya.... MALIGO KA NAMAN!

[cutedoc]

hay naku...nun aral pako seatmate ko stinks, as in very bad, tiis lang ako, ayoko siya sabihan, kasi alam ko sinasabihan na siya ng mga frens niya, from breath to whatever expire me amoy and mabaho!!! goo thing lagi ako me baon pabango to mask away the foul odor.

nun gym ako dati ko gym me mga nakakasabay ako na indian, ewan why they smell so bad, la aircon sa gym kaya open ko lahat window tapos open ko fan para me ventolation, sila naman sara window and fan nakakainis so every rep ko open ko window n fan, tipong kasama na sa routine ko yun dati

[rodvilla]

hay naku...nun aral pako seatmate ko stinks, as in very bad, tiis lang ako, ayoko siya sabihan, kasi alam ko sinasabihan na siya ng mga frens niya, from breath to whatever expire me amoy and mabaho!!! goo thing lagi ako me baon pabango to mask away the foul odor.

nun gym ako dati ko gym me mga nakakasabay ako na indian, ewan why they smell so bad, la aircon sa gym kaya open ko lahat window tapos open ko fan para me ventolation, sila naman sara window and fan nakakainis so every rep ko open ko window n fan, tipong kasama na sa routine ko yun dati

Ang amoy nang mga Indian at Pakistani ay galing sa kanilang pagkain.
Pansinin mo ang amoy at amoy sibuyas sobra kasi silang kumain nang sibuyas.

[StraightSix]

Ang amoy nang mga Indian at Pakistani ay galing sa kanilang pagkain.
Pansinin mo ang amoy at amoy sibuyas sobra kasi silang kumain nang sibuyas.

Amoy panis na curry, hehehe.

[empy]

:bwahaha:

in my previous job, 2 years kong tiniis yung baho ng indian colleague ko. kahit malaki yung mga cubicle namin and semi-walled off, umaapaw pa rin yung amoy niya over the wall. note that we probably sat 15 feet apart with a 6-ft wall between us. bagsik talaga.

we did give him very gentle reminders but he didn't seem to care or want to change. he was the department a--hole too so we really didn't care for his image all that much anyway. he still works for the company, but (thankfully) is three floors away now.

i noticed that after awhile the nose starts to adapt and the smell seems to be less pungent after you've breathed it in nonstop for a few months :bwahaha:

[maykel]

i noticed that after awhile the nose starts to adapt and the smell seems to be less pungent after you've breathed it in nonstop for a few months :bwahaha:

I can relate to this... sanayan lang talaga!

[ozcity]

dami dito..nakakahilo lalo na mga bangladeshi and indian..iisa yata ang amoy nila na parang damit na hindi natuyo ang amoy..nakakainit ng ulo...parang atomic bomb pag pumasok dito sa room ko sa sobrang lakas ng body odor.. ....

saka nakakainis ginagawang hugasan ng paa yung lababo sa cr

[Linkk]

hehehe totoo yan sa singapore dehins ligo mga tao pag pumapasok, nagtataka pa sila pag mag brush ka ng teeth after eating

[chieffy]

ha ha ang hirap talaga pag may kasama kang Indian sa office :lol:

[chua_riwap]

ha ha ang hirap talaga pag may kasama kang Indian sa office :lol:

Oooopppss! He-he! Konting preno. Baka may sumama ang loob. Baka may mga Fil-Indian Tsikoteers dito.

[delprado]

Oooopppss! He-he! Konting preno. Baka may sumama ang loob. Baka may mga Fil-Indian Tsikoteers dito.

OT:... me naalala ako..last year yata yon... me nag react tungkol dito...when someone posted a gas masked in the forum...

Speaking of amoy, based sa experience ko, kada lahi me kanya-kanyang amoy... everytime na pumunta ka sa kahit saang bansa me maaamoy kang kakaiba at usually, masasabi mo na ba't ganun ang amoy nila at bakit ang pinoy walang amoy. I think, kung ibang lahi din ang tatanungin natin
me amoy din tayo, it's just that nasanay na tayo sa amoy ng lahi natin kaya pagdating sa sense of smell natin yon ang expected na normal na amoy ng tao...

[the_wildthing]

You know I had to actually tell someone about his stinking problem... I had no choice, he worked for me and it was affecting the team. I think he took it well, considering...

[oldblue]

kami dati sobrang tiniis namin yun Indian na sinama ng boss namin sa team. kawawa nga yun Indian eh gusto niya mag-tour sa Manila, wala umiimik sa min. he was with us for 2 months. tapos one time pinakita nya yun mga pictures nya dito sa places sa Manila, parati sya nag-iisa at nagpapakuha lang kung kani-kanino.

one time nga sa canteen yun amoy ng isang spicy food dun amoy nya, tapos yun pa din inorder nya. masuka-suka kami habang kumakain sabay sabay.

[Karding]

amf, co-worker ko naliligo ng AXE pero lalong bumaho. Baktol and body perfume = worst smell than baktol alone :bwahaha:

OT:

oldblue, I just noticed your si...tawa ako dun ah hahahahaha...research daw amf.

[qman]

common sa middle east and can't do anything about it kaya manhid na ilong ko.

some people here take a bath twice a week lang meron naman na naliligo araw araw pero iyong mga pinapahid na ancient oil sa ulo sa kilikili na kulay green pa kupooo. katindi sangsang ang amoy.

Pero once me pumasok sa opis ko na nag alis ng safety shoes nya eh maghapon naga trabaho sa labas ang sakit sa ilong ng amoy ng paa hehehhe kaya me aerosol ako sa opis tatlo iba iba ang amoy

[need4speed]

in all fairness... not all people from the middle east or east asia have B.O. ... I was just in Bangladesh a few months ago and I've met some who had and some who didn't. It's usually the people who are well off that don't. The one's who had B.O. weren't brought up with hygiene in mind.

[leinahtan]

get immuned to the smell! pwe!!

[tinky]

pa padeliver ko na lang sa kanya ng care package
anonymously para di masyadong nakakahiya,pag nakita
nya laman nung basket,siguro naman makakahalata na
sya na di kanais-nais yung amoy nya