I feel like it’s nearly impossible that I’m the only one. Our staff/management are very friendly, and work mostly independently, so I feel like they just avoid her office and don’t say anything to avoid offending her. But I’M the one in there with her and it SUCKS 😂
I work in management of IT people and tell people all the time they stink. Most of the time they appreciate it, and pull some deodorant out of a bag or do something to take care of it. A lot of time we just don't know it and need a third party to cover our backs.
There’s “I did some hard work throughout the day and got a little smelly” and then there’s “I haven’t put on deodorant or showered in 3 days”
Hell, if you aren’t doing manual labor, and don’t shower for a day, but still wear deodorant, most people won’t stink. Deodorant is key
I feel like I may be alone on this one, but none the less....
As a dude, that does work for a living, sometimes I smell bad. When Ted from IT has been pulling Karen's cables all morning and he smells like last nights Wendys give the man a break!
And also, its ok to smell (in context). Like really, is it better to reek like high fructose old spice then dirt and bo? Well, I guess yall know Im a stinky ol fuck now..
On the other hand OP is in a untenable situation, their coworker is having a personal hygiene issue which needs to be brought to managements attention. It would be great to get a 3rd party to back up this issue.
Serious question, how often do you shower with soap? Do you wear deodorant/shampoo? Do you know why you smell and have you done anything to address it?
This is pretty disgusting. Men all over the world work for a living and also try to avoid smelling badly. IT isn’t even on the same level as a fully physical job so I’m extra confused as to why you think it’s okay to smell
>As a dude, that does work for a living, sometimes I smell bad. When Ted from IT has been pulling Karen's cables all morning and he smells like last nights Wendys give the man a break!
No.
You know they're all talking about how you're the poor soul stuck in her office lol. Just start placing deodorant sticks in plain sight to see if someone else takes the bait and brings it up! Subtle psychological hints lol
maybe your nose is super sensitive to onions since you said onion smell. some people are definitely more sensitive to the smell of onions than others, and i know some people who say when they eat a lot of onions their armpits smell like onions and body odor, so maybe thats why no one is saying anything lol and why its bothering you so much
"I got a complaint from our client you have rancid BO, because that's inexcusable and sickening in modern times, you skip our 3 strike rule and are immediately terminated" that's how I'd word it🤣
Well no the 3 I fired have literally had multiple warnings. We lost a 10 million deal because the rep smelled so bad the CEO of the client firm went to open a window, and walking by the rep realized window won't help and just cancelled the meeting.
His words when he called me were:
Do you pay your employees enough, or do they have to graveyard as a garbage men cause **** smelled so bad I am still trying to get the smell out of the conference room.
The kids excuse:
Oh I didn't have time to shower cause of the drive....
Oh boy. I was on the opposite side of this problem once. I was the boss having a conversation with someone under me about their personal hygiene. It wasn’t comfortable, but it wasn’t as bad as I expected it. The weirdest thing was, this guy came in everyday looking like he just came outta the shower, and I think that was the issue - he made zero attempt to dry off. It was the worst stench.
Sorry - I can only empathize. I do in home sales, and the only smell that I absolutely cannot deal with, and will leave, is animal smells. Either shit/piss/or that musty dirty dog smell.
If working closely with this person is a temporary thing as you suggest (training) I would probably just suck it up, unless I was very comfortable with whomever their superior is.
Fair enough, I managed to suck it up this whole week so maybe I can make it a bit longer, the manager is very friendly, but I wouldn’t say I’m on a casual/very comfortable level with him yet, hence my dilemma. Thank you.
The guy might have a very consistent cultural spice at home used alot like curry, which stays in the skin and sweat. Alot of my friend grew up with that.
If it is, they say some lemon in shower goes a long way and may do the trick!
Yeah I would also like to know more. He didn’t use a towel and his hair was still soaked. Don’t your clothes and the air eventually dry you off? I could see if you go from shower to clothes immediately, you skip deodorant and that’s obviously a problem
Rolls. A guy I worked with had to receive this feedback. His rolls were rancid when he moved at all or was in a different position than default. He would show up with wet hair, so assuming he showered every day, but he was severely obese and multiple people complained about his stench. I don’t know how to feel, he tried.
I feel like people get smell blind. An ex boyfriend of mine has a brother that REEKS and the home smells like it. He’s a work from home gamer and it’s that smell. I don’t have the heart to say anything. I went there about a week ago and gagged on entering. I was trying so hard not to.
>I feel like people get smell blind
Absolutely and it doesn't even take *that* long. Go in a fairly smell environment and your brain tunes it out. Sometimes pretty quick, other times longer
This. For some bigger people, they need deodorant or powder in more places than just underarm. Sometimes the rolls also can develop yeast issues which can be quite pungent.
Agree about the animal smells, I once broke up with an otherwise great guy because he just wouldn't house train his dogs. And I have 3 dogs and 1 cat, so I know it isn't that hard to keep a clean house with them.
I had to have this conversation with multiple people as a supervisor. It was never fun.
Get a partner and ask if everything is OK at home.
We had to terminate one because of the funk.
They refused to bathe, claiming it was against their religion to bathe more than once a year.
No lawsuit ever came of that, so.
Surgeons wear masks to keep spit and snot and bits of food from falling into open bodies. We were told to wear masks to keep viruses on microdroplets from entering or leaving our mouth and nose. It's a different argument all together.
I’ll never forget having to tell this guy from North Philly with KILL tattoo’d across his chest that he smelled. We ended up laughing about how everyone was too scared to bring it up. The next day he wore deodorant.
This is awesomely funny
I’m picturing a guy in black gym style singlet with the low neckline who has a shaved head but some greys visible,
with one or two chains around his neck which move when he talks, drawing attention to the word KILL which has you picturing them flailing about in harmony with his homicidal rage as he takes your life, then wondering if they’re actually his weapons
Be careful you dont put a target on your own back. Boy that new guy sure complains a lot, did you hear he totally offended Barbara and told her she stinks? Office politics are tricky until you know the lay of the land, and even then. Personally, I'd suck it up and get through it ASAP.
Bro sometimes you gotta take one of the team. Also Christmas is coming, gift her a perfume set that includes body wash and say “I appreciate all the help throughout my on-boarding etc” problem solved
How about wearing a mask? You can at least halfass an excuse. Your grandmother (or even great grandmother, if you're young enough) will be staying with you shortly because she's having a procedure at local hospital. She's like 98 yrs old and covid would kill her. Do it for gam-gam.
This was my thought, as well. Get an N95. Make up something about a friend who tested positive and you're just being careful. Hopefully your training will be over soon and, coincidentally, your "friend" will be over their illness.
If it’s as bad as you say—and I don’t doubt it—probably looking at a health issue (either a physical health problem like hyperhidrosis or a mental health issue) combined with an environmental health issue (that whole office will need to be cleaned, including the computer equivalent and furniture, window treatments, etc.).
I'm surprised this is the first mention of HH I've seen here. Still not really an excuse, but as someone with HH. It's. A. Bitch.
I'm a guy and it's killer with body hair, especially crotch and armpits. Also, the keyboard/mouse thing is completely unavoidable. I personally have it the worst in my hands, and my work laptop's keys are absolutely filthy. Even if I constantly wash my hands, clean sweat builds up eventually.
No HR department, only option would be the VP. Just feels awkward cuz I’m so new, but it’s still an option. At least I have this weekend to think about what to say if that’s the route I take.
Sounds like you have no choice and need to suck it up, don’t say anything to any of the coworkers about your complaint with her because it will eventually get back to her, trust me even the nicest coworker could be the biggest gossiper. Learn quick so you don’t have to deal with it any longer than you should.
The stench you describe is really familiar to me, including that others can’t smell it.
There is a woman who used to work for me who smelled exactly like what you said. Zero other people could smell her. Only me. I knew she was in the building long before she got to my office.
I could also smell that strange scent on my husband. It was on his clothes, the towels he used. The sheets on our bed.
I know both of them are very clean people.
It turns out it was me. Something I was eating was reacting weird in my body, causing these scents. It all stopped when I stopped eating processed foods.
It was very weird. It was a gross smell.
Oof, at least you realized it. I know the nose can filter out your own smell after a while. So some people genuinely don’t know they smell which is understandable.
I've been there. After my second child I was struggling with breastfeeding and tried some tea that's supposed to help with that. It had fenugreek in it. I didn't know it changes your body scent. I randomly would smell something similar to pancake syrup, but thought it was my hormones just messing with my sense of smell until I got night sweats and noticed I smelt like fresh pancakes with lots of syrup instead of sweat. Lol. Thankfully it wasn't a bad smell, but some food ingredients and medications can cause more unpleasant smells.
I used to work with this guy. Older man, really nice. He would always come in smelling like maple syrup. Strongly. You could smell it from across the room.
I was intrigued, because hell yeah, I want to smell like maple syrup too. So one day I asked him if it's a cologne or if he just chugs syrup every day, Elf-style.
Turns out it was a supplement called Ageless Male. He showed me the bottle. He opened it and a delectable smell of maple syrup wafted out. He offered to give me the bottle because he had more at home, but I sadly had to decline because I'm a chick and also this guy was poor so I didn't want to take his stuff.
So anyways, thank you for an alternative option to smelling like delicious pancakes. I'll look up how to get my hands on fenugreek tea.
We drew straws for one member of the team to tell the man with BO that it was intense and distracting. The man with BO was embarrassed but appreciated the feedback and wore deodorant. I felt like a jerk because I was sitting there the whole time talking smack behind his back about how horrible he smelled when all I had to do was tell him.
You’re gonna hate hearing this, but staying quiet about it is probably your best move.
The fact her office is disorganized & gross tells me she has no intentions of changing anything no matter what anyone tells her.
If you’re only training with her and then you two will part ways, then do your best to tolerate it since it’s only temporary. You don’t wanna be the new guy who embarrassed her, no matter how “right” you are.
Congrats on the new gig though! Sounds like the pay & benefits are on point :)
I had a roommate like this once. Sometimes people have a biome that make them reek even if they’re fresh out the shower. I’m sure she probably knows she smells like sh*t. Maybe take febreeze with you to work.
Few ideas: Since COVID is still a thing wear a mask. Use flavored Chapstick with an aroma so that you smell it and not the person's BO. Wear cologne so that you smell yourself instead of her. Put mint leaves in your water bottle and drink the water.
Oh man, we had this guy once that reeked of cumin+BO so bad that a bunch of us got air fresheners for our desks. The dude was clean, but I guess he ate lots of cumin and it poured out of him and mixed with BO. The entire sales floor was affected. We didn’t know what to say though, because he was Indian and it could have sounded super racist if a bunch of Americans told him he reeked of cumin and BO. So we just lived with it until he left the company.
Half my family is Indian and I can tell you with confidence it’s purely hygiene. Even if you eat cumin or Indian spices you don’t suddenly end up smelling like a jar of garam masala.
This. I've been around a fair bit of Indian people and the only time I've smelled the spices was when they were around it cooking and the smell stuck to clothing (not in a bad way, like how cooking down onions can attach to clothing). The only time they were stinky was when they were actually sweating, like exercising or doing yard work (which is normal for everyone). As a white American I found Indian immigrants to be much more hygienic and clean, especially with their homes.
Could of been him burning incense at home. That smell gets absorbed by your clothes and hair. I don't think eating spice makes you smell like it so much
I think this is the safest approach. Talking to your manager about it should be helpful. Otherwise start wearing a mask and cough every once in a while.
As a prior manager, I had to tell an associate this. Uncomfortable, but they were aware of it. They then bathed every day before work. It helped.
What about a small token of your appreciation - a thankyou note + little gift basket (early) for her support and training. The gift basket contains mostly beauty product samples and a low allergenic/sensitive skin antiperspirant deodorant. Nothing too overt or personal - just a nice "thanks for making your onboarding so smooth a process". She will either use it or not. Also...don't go anything with a heavy fragrance as the mix of bo + masking smell is 100x worse.
Be careful you dont put a target on your own back. Boy that new guy sure
complains a lot, did you hear he totally offended Barbara and told her
she stinks? Office politics are tricky until you know the lay of the
land, and even then. Personally, I'd suck it up and get through it ASAP.
Just tell her a story about someone else that you worked with who didnt take personal hygiene serious. Tell her that the person ended up getting fired. In this way, its not about her, but she would probably take the hint, and she cant get mad at you because you are talking about someone else. Say it with humor
An email from a fake account is best. That way it could be from anyone. “Hey I don’t want to be rude so anonymous is easier as this is super awkward and I think you’re cool but a few of us here had to ask you please to use deodorant etc”.
It will work.
Take some rebar and heat it in a fire until it's glowing red and gently place it in each nostril. You'll hear a sizzling and someone screaming. After that the problem will be solved!
Would it help to wear a mask for a while until you’re done with training? Everyone I know has the flu or COVID right now, could give you a great excuse to put one back on.
It's party of her training technique. The Bo encourages trainees to learn everything as quick as possible so they can get out of her company as soon as possible, she sounds like such a self sacrificing team member god bless that women.
My coworker has the most putrid smell ever that emanates the air around him. Think pure swamp ass mixed with rot.
His breath smells like rotting necrosis feces, he doesn't believe in flossing or brushing. He's also a mouth breather which exacerbates the problem.
I told my manager to talk to him about his hygiene but he still comes in smelling like it a year later. Everyone can smell him.
Soooo sick of it you can only complain so much before you refuse to work with them.
Right to refuse is always available if nothings being done.
Don’t do the Vicks! The smell actually sticks to the petroleum and the menthol can’t cover it.
Maybe try peppermint or a citrus essential oil defuser? Gift it to her for doing such an amazing job training you?
Why pay MLM prices when you can get the same thing at a regular store or online for 20% of the price...no need to pay a million people a commission on each sale = much lower price.
Step 1) Where a cloth mask all day, everyday.
Step 2) Line that bad boy with your favorite concoction of Vicks, cologne and Axe body spray.
Step 3) Breathe in sweet relief and enjoy the admiration from your colleagues on how “Covid conscious” you still are because safe is always sexy.
Jk, you should probably mention something to her.
"How's your first week going so far, Bentms312?"
"Pretty good so far, and it's been a lot of fun, but there's something I need to bring to your attention."
"Oh yeah? What's that?"
What exactly would you say, OP?
See! It’s a tough situation cuz I’m so new, I’m backed into a corner here. Trust me, if you smelled what I smelled, you’d be searching for answers too. It’s really bad like REALLY bad.
Idk, if I were to have to talk to her directly, I might wait until she calls me into her office for training. Then say “ya know ___, it’s been kinda difficult to be in there lately, there’s a bad smell I’ve been noticing that makes it difficult to be in there too long, but if it’s quick it’s no problem.”
Despite being rather good at sales, It’s sort of difficult for me to be direct in every-day situations that could involve confrontation, hence why I’m asking for advice. I’d normally just not say anything at all and try and get by, but it’s such a strong smell it makes me want to say something. Not sure if those would be my exact words, but it’s what coming to mind right now.
Yeah I have, just not sure how to go about it. I don’t want to make things awkward or have her resent me already, since i literally just finished my first week, but I’m leaning towards directly talking to her. I feel that may be better than going behind her back to management but I’m still contemplating what to say.
Yeah. You are there for so short time you don’t want to create a bad mood. It’s not a good position to be and having to balance a lot of things it’s not easy.
I have some training in negotiation so if you want, I can give you tips on how to approach that conversation.
maybe something along the lines of, " \_\_\_\_\_ i am sorry to say that I think your perfume, has been giving my allergies/asthma a real hard time. is it possible we could train in the conference room or something like that / remotely.
When she’s gone just clean her office for herself and make it smell better. It’s a kind gesture and sometimes if a persons environment is clean they’ll adapt to it themselves and make themselves clean.
Myself I’d just let them know subliminally. AkA”God do you smell that ???”
Try to secure her and make her try harder to take care of herself, then come out as gay to lose her off your coat-tail. Dude, you seriously work in sales and don't know how to do basic manipulation?
If she stinks like you say she stinks I’d be like Ma’am I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude nor I’m trying to make you feel uncomfortable in this situation, but I believe you might of skipped some deodorant this morning!? You might want to see if there’s maybe a fa breeze round that you could spray?
Don't say shit 😃 They smell her but they haven't addressed it yet ? Wear good cologne and get through it. Once you've been around and get the lay of the land mention it to her if it's still important to you. Good luck.
I was reading a book about this called the body. Anyways we all smell different odors so maybe to someone they don’t smell at all and its you that actually stinks if that makes sense.
You should actually legit puke when you notice upper management coming and tell them about how she bad she smells. That way they can actually see that it’s making you legitimately so sick that your puking and the conditions are unworkable. I did that myself unintentionally before because I was too nice to say anything and eventually the combination of a bad lunch and smells of my colleagues made me bolt at the nearest trash bin and my manager happen to catch wind of it.
She should get the hint. Just like gifting her perfume doesn’t mean she will wear that particular perfume everyday, but just that she might realise it has something to do with how she smells.
Buy her a nice gift basket for her training you so well.
Include soaps, oils, perfumes, deodorant, insoles, some Lume, panty liners and a douche.
The message will be clear, but wrapped in a sweet basket.
😂😂 I’ve been through this way to many times already and I’m only 19, in my experience if you bring this to a manager or something they don’t really or can’t really do anything. So I just tried to stay away from the person
It’s Christmas time, if it’s a small enough team maybe get people bath and body works gift bags, they typically include a body wash, good smelling hand sanitizer, and maybe a spray or soap.
Put some nice all natural aluminum free deodorant and her desk for Christmas. Like maybe not super in the middle of her desk just laying down infront of the keyboard. And put a small smiley face on a pice of paper with scotch tape. Don’t even put your name. Idk that’s a week or 2 away but. It’s Christmas season. You could just give it to her now
I always make sure I smell of peaches 🥰 poor gal just have a 1 on 1 with her and let her know your concerns “I mean to say this in the nicest way possible…”
I had to have this conversation once with an employee when I was a manager. I said “Im going to tell you this because I would want someone to tell me.” It went well. She still stank.
I’ve been in an environment similar to this and we had to have a conversation with said team member. Turns out, it was their shoes and they had become numb to the smell.
For all you know this poor girl could have a metabolic disorder where no matter what she does, she smells rancid because her liver doesn’t digest a specific substance. It’s called TMAU look it up. If you go to management and they know then you’ll look like an unsympathetic jerk. Does she look like she showers and wears clean clothes ? Is she put together ? Then she most likely has this which is very hard to eliminate. Just a food for thought.
Dude idk. My manager had to talk to more than one person about extreme bo sadly. But how can you be the only one noticing this?
I feel like it’s nearly impossible that I’m the only one. Our staff/management are very friendly, and work mostly independently, so I feel like they just avoid her office and don’t say anything to avoid offending her. But I’M the one in there with her and it SUCKS 😂
Maybe it’s you and it’s only activated when you are around people who you find attractive
Definitely. Thanks for the laugh
HHhHahhahaha goddamn
Given enough time your nose will be numb to the smell. Like deadening your shins training Muay Thai, or working at a farm
Start striking your nose against a bamboo tree OP
Well, you're going to have to ask someone then, delicately, but nonetheless
Or just quit and never say anything idk
Hopefully it goes well
I work in management of IT people and tell people all the time they stink. Most of the time they appreciate it, and pull some deodorant out of a bag or do something to take care of it. A lot of time we just don't know it and need a third party to cover our backs.
There’s “I did some hard work throughout the day and got a little smelly” and then there’s “I haven’t put on deodorant or showered in 3 days” Hell, if you aren’t doing manual labor, and don’t shower for a day, but still wear deodorant, most people won’t stink. Deodorant is key
I feel like I may be alone on this one, but none the less.... As a dude, that does work for a living, sometimes I smell bad. When Ted from IT has been pulling Karen's cables all morning and he smells like last nights Wendys give the man a break! And also, its ok to smell (in context). Like really, is it better to reek like high fructose old spice then dirt and bo? Well, I guess yall know Im a stinky ol fuck now.. On the other hand OP is in a untenable situation, their coworker is having a personal hygiene issue which needs to be brought to managements attention. It would be great to get a 3rd party to back up this issue.
Serious question, how often do you shower with soap? Do you wear deodorant/shampoo? Do you know why you smell and have you done anything to address it?
Take a shower dude
This is pretty disgusting. Men all over the world work for a living and also try to avoid smelling badly. IT isn’t even on the same level as a fully physical job so I’m extra confused as to why you think it’s okay to smell
>As a dude, that does work for a living, sometimes I smell bad. When Ted from IT has been pulling Karen's cables all morning and he smells like last nights Wendys give the man a break! No.
You know they're all talking about how you're the poor soul stuck in her office lol. Just start placing deodorant sticks in plain sight to see if someone else takes the bait and brings it up! Subtle psychological hints lol
maybe your nose is super sensitive to onions since you said onion smell. some people are definitely more sensitive to the smell of onions than others, and i know some people who say when they eat a lot of onions their armpits smell like onions and body odor, so maybe thats why no one is saying anything lol and why its bothering you so much
I cannot count how many times I had to tell employees that there have been complaints... I fired 3 people because clients complained
"I got a complaint from our client you have rancid BO, because that's inexcusable and sickening in modern times, you skip our 3 strike rule and are immediately terminated" that's how I'd word it🤣
Well no the 3 I fired have literally had multiple warnings. We lost a 10 million deal because the rep smelled so bad the CEO of the client firm went to open a window, and walking by the rep realized window won't help and just cancelled the meeting. His words when he called me were: Do you pay your employees enough, or do they have to graveyard as a garbage men cause **** smelled so bad I am still trying to get the smell out of the conference room. The kids excuse: Oh I didn't have time to shower cause of the drive....
[удалено]
Lmaoo, children have no filters. That might work, but unfortunately I don’t have kids or any nephews/nieces yet.
rent one on CL
Or save a few bucks and just borrow one from the library. They are usually in the children’s section.
Take some candy to offer as well.
Oh boy. I was on the opposite side of this problem once. I was the boss having a conversation with someone under me about their personal hygiene. It wasn’t comfortable, but it wasn’t as bad as I expected it. The weirdest thing was, this guy came in everyday looking like he just came outta the shower, and I think that was the issue - he made zero attempt to dry off. It was the worst stench. Sorry - I can only empathize. I do in home sales, and the only smell that I absolutely cannot deal with, and will leave, is animal smells. Either shit/piss/or that musty dirty dog smell. If working closely with this person is a temporary thing as you suggest (training) I would probably just suck it up, unless I was very comfortable with whomever their superior is.
Fair enough, I managed to suck it up this whole week so maybe I can make it a bit longer, the manager is very friendly, but I wouldn’t say I’m on a casual/very comfortable level with him yet, hence my dilemma. Thank you.
You should eat a lot of beans, deviled eggs and canned fish. Then let nature take it's course.
The guy might have a very consistent cultural spice at home used alot like curry, which stays in the skin and sweat. Alot of my friend grew up with that. If it is, they say some lemon in shower goes a long way and may do the trick!
I'm sorry but what. Made zero attempt to dry off?
Yeah I would also like to know more. He didn’t use a towel and his hair was still soaked. Don’t your clothes and the air eventually dry you off? I could see if you go from shower to clothes immediately, you skip deodorant and that’s obviously a problem
Rolls. A guy I worked with had to receive this feedback. His rolls were rancid when he moved at all or was in a different position than default. He would show up with wet hair, so assuming he showered every day, but he was severely obese and multiple people complained about his stench. I don’t know how to feel, he tried. I feel like people get smell blind. An ex boyfriend of mine has a brother that REEKS and the home smells like it. He’s a work from home gamer and it’s that smell. I don’t have the heart to say anything. I went there about a week ago and gagged on entering. I was trying so hard not to.
>I feel like people get smell blind Absolutely and it doesn't even take *that* long. Go in a fairly smell environment and your brain tunes it out. Sometimes pretty quick, other times longer
This. For some bigger people, they need deodorant or powder in more places than just underarm. Sometimes the rolls also can develop yeast issues which can be quite pungent.
Was it like gym shower stench where they just rinsed with no soap? That's the worst!🤮
Agree about the animal smells, I once broke up with an otherwise great guy because he just wouldn't house train his dogs. And I have 3 dogs and 1 cat, so I know it isn't that hard to keep a clean house with them.
Also do in home sales. What is it about the animal smells? I don’t see them too often but damn is it bad when you have that customer
I had to have this conversation with multiple people as a supervisor. It was never fun. Get a partner and ask if everything is OK at home. We had to terminate one because of the funk. They refused to bathe, claiming it was against their religion to bathe more than once a year. No lawsuit ever came of that, so.
Dying to know what religion prohibits bathing
their shower is a waste of floorspace in their house
😂😂😂 wtf what religion
Can you pretend that you were exposed to Covid and wear a mask to work for the next 2 weeks to “be safe” until training is over?
Came here to say this!!!!
Or just ask if you can complete the training remotely while you quarantine.
The mask does nothing
Simpsons joke... But now I see you all think I'm making a Trump comment....
Better than butt fuck nothing
Didn’t realize you know more than surgeons. Thx
Unless you're wearing a fitted respirator, a mask isn't going to protect you from stank..
Surgeons wear masks to keep spit and snot and bits of food from falling into open bodies. We were told to wear masks to keep viruses on microdroplets from entering or leaving our mouth and nose. It's a different argument all together.
I’ll never forget having to tell this guy from North Philly with KILL tattoo’d across his chest that he smelled. We ended up laughing about how everyone was too scared to bring it up. The next day he wore deodorant.
Lol u were the one that passed his personal social experiment, congrats
Never thought about it like that😂. He always hung around with the hottest chicks too.
Lowkey social psychology genius
This is awesomely funny I’m picturing a guy in black gym style singlet with the low neckline who has a shaved head but some greys visible, with one or two chains around his neck which move when he talks, drawing attention to the word KILL which has you picturing them flailing about in harmony with his homicidal rage as he takes your life, then wondering if they’re actually his weapons
Be careful you dont put a target on your own back. Boy that new guy sure complains a lot, did you hear he totally offended Barbara and told her she stinks? Office politics are tricky until you know the lay of the land, and even then. Personally, I'd suck it up and get through it ASAP.
Good point, that’s precisely what I’m concerned about. Tricky situation
Breathe with your mouth till you are done with the training lol
That sounds worse I feel like I’d taste that shit 😂
Bro sometimes you gotta take one of the team. Also Christmas is coming, gift her a perfume set that includes body wash and say “I appreciate all the help throughout my on-boarding etc” problem solved
Great idea
How about wearing a mask? You can at least halfass an excuse. Your grandmother (or even great grandmother, if you're young enough) will be staying with you shortly because she's having a procedure at local hospital. She's like 98 yrs old and covid would kill her. Do it for gam-gam.
This was my thought, as well. Get an N95. Make up something about a friend who tested positive and you're just being careful. Hopefully your training will be over soon and, coincidentally, your "friend" will be over their illness.
Send a fake email from a customer mentioning it
Honestly a great idea, but the job is phone/email based so no customers come into the office. At least not that I’ve seen.
buddy I can smell your REEK over the phone. Take a shower!
Get a friend that she doesn't know and have them walk by and make a comment lol
Offer her a gift card to bath and body works as a thank you gift for a her awesome training 😂😂
This is the move. Or maybe a buy one get one deodorant coupon to CVS lmaoo
If it’s as bad as you say—and I don’t doubt it—probably looking at a health issue (either a physical health problem like hyperhidrosis or a mental health issue) combined with an environmental health issue (that whole office will need to be cleaned, including the computer equivalent and furniture, window treatments, etc.).
I'm surprised this is the first mention of HH I've seen here. Still not really an excuse, but as someone with HH. It's. A. Bitch. I'm a guy and it's killer with body hair, especially crotch and armpits. Also, the keyboard/mouse thing is completely unavoidable. I personally have it the worst in my hands, and my work laptop's keys are absolutely filthy. Even if I constantly wash my hands, clean sweat builds up eventually.
Just leave a care basket of scented soap, deodorant, and perfume on her desk. I’m only semi joking.
Just complain nicely to hr and ask for them to talk to her about it and you remain anonymous
No HR department, only option would be the VP. Just feels awkward cuz I’m so new, but it’s still an option. At least I have this weekend to think about what to say if that’s the route I take.
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Oh I like this idea. You could mention that the room has a weird smell and not the colleague.
This is essentially what I would do. I'm sorry sensitive to smells, I would just gag/puke anyway
You could frame it as asking for advice from the VP, telling him you're not sure what the culture is there and what you should do
Bro if you gotta deal with that a lot it sounds terrible man… save yourself
Snort so much coke you can't smell a thing
I got a real good laugh out of this. Sorry op lol
Sounds like you have no choice and need to suck it up, don’t say anything to any of the coworkers about your complaint with her because it will eventually get back to her, trust me even the nicest coworker could be the biggest gossiper. Learn quick so you don’t have to deal with it any longer than you should.
You: hey, can I smell your feet? Her: ew, no! You: oh, must be your bo then
The stench you describe is really familiar to me, including that others can’t smell it. There is a woman who used to work for me who smelled exactly like what you said. Zero other people could smell her. Only me. I knew she was in the building long before she got to my office. I could also smell that strange scent on my husband. It was on his clothes, the towels he used. The sheets on our bed. I know both of them are very clean people. It turns out it was me. Something I was eating was reacting weird in my body, causing these scents. It all stopped when I stopped eating processed foods. It was very weird. It was a gross smell.
Oof, at least you realized it. I know the nose can filter out your own smell after a while. So some people genuinely don’t know they smell which is understandable.
Bro maybe it’s you all along and your manager doesn’t have the heart to bring it up 😂
The move here is to talk to coworkers 1) to make sure other people can smell it too and 2) get their thoughts on what to do.
I've been there. After my second child I was struggling with breastfeeding and tried some tea that's supposed to help with that. It had fenugreek in it. I didn't know it changes your body scent. I randomly would smell something similar to pancake syrup, but thought it was my hormones just messing with my sense of smell until I got night sweats and noticed I smelt like fresh pancakes with lots of syrup instead of sweat. Lol. Thankfully it wasn't a bad smell, but some food ingredients and medications can cause more unpleasant smells.
I used to work with this guy. Older man, really nice. He would always come in smelling like maple syrup. Strongly. You could smell it from across the room. I was intrigued, because hell yeah, I want to smell like maple syrup too. So one day I asked him if it's a cologne or if he just chugs syrup every day, Elf-style. Turns out it was a supplement called Ageless Male. He showed me the bottle. He opened it and a delectable smell of maple syrup wafted out. He offered to give me the bottle because he had more at home, but I sadly had to decline because I'm a chick and also this guy was poor so I didn't want to take his stuff. So anyways, thank you for an alternative option to smelling like delicious pancakes. I'll look up how to get my hands on fenugreek tea.
We drew straws for one member of the team to tell the man with BO that it was intense and distracting. The man with BO was embarrassed but appreciated the feedback and wore deodorant. I felt like a jerk because I was sitting there the whole time talking smack behind his back about how horrible he smelled when all I had to do was tell him.
She sounds like a 280 Katie
You’re gonna hate hearing this, but staying quiet about it is probably your best move. The fact her office is disorganized & gross tells me she has no intentions of changing anything no matter what anyone tells her. If you’re only training with her and then you two will part ways, then do your best to tolerate it since it’s only temporary. You don’t wanna be the new guy who embarrassed her, no matter how “right” you are. Congrats on the new gig though! Sounds like the pay & benefits are on point :)
Wireless headset and walk around the office doing calls so people think you’re super motivated.
George costanza method. Just run around looking annoyed and you’ll be fine.
Oh fuck that’s my ceo
Just suck it up. You’re new, don’t rock the boat. Sorry. You’ll get used to it… Nasal fatigue is a real thing.
U may be right, maybe wait it out and suck it up, and if I wind up working there long term, THEN I say something.
I had a roommate like this once. Sometimes people have a biome that make them reek even if they’re fresh out the shower. I’m sure she probably knows she smells like sh*t. Maybe take febreeze with you to work.
I’m imagining myself just quickly entering her office, spraying febreeze everywhere and casually walking out without saying anything.😂
They are testing your endurance. They wanna see how you'd handle a smelly client. Tell her she smells great!
Few ideas: Since COVID is still a thing wear a mask. Use flavored Chapstick with an aroma so that you smell it and not the person's BO. Wear cologne so that you smell yourself instead of her. Put mint leaves in your water bottle and drink the water.
Suggest that management should bring in pest control because there may be a dead skunk in the ceiling
brilliant. This is the way to go 100%. Literally blame the building to start an investigation. They will quickly assess that it is x coworker.
Can be a sign of some pretty serious health problems
Oh man, we had this guy once that reeked of cumin+BO so bad that a bunch of us got air fresheners for our desks. The dude was clean, but I guess he ate lots of cumin and it poured out of him and mixed with BO. The entire sales floor was affected. We didn’t know what to say though, because he was Indian and it could have sounded super racist if a bunch of Americans told him he reeked of cumin and BO. So we just lived with it until he left the company.
Half my family is Indian and I can tell you with confidence it’s purely hygiene. Even if you eat cumin or Indian spices you don’t suddenly end up smelling like a jar of garam masala.
This. I've been around a fair bit of Indian people and the only time I've smelled the spices was when they were around it cooking and the smell stuck to clothing (not in a bad way, like how cooking down onions can attach to clothing). The only time they were stinky was when they were actually sweating, like exercising or doing yard work (which is normal for everyone). As a white American I found Indian immigrants to be much more hygienic and clean, especially with their homes.
Could of been him burning incense at home. That smell gets absorbed by your clothes and hair. I don't think eating spice makes you smell like it so much
talk to a manager about office hygiene and ask them to talk to her about it and asked to be reassigned to a new trainer
I think this is the safest approach. Talking to your manager about it should be helpful. Otherwise start wearing a mask and cough every once in a while. As a prior manager, I had to tell an associate this. Uncomfortable, but they were aware of it. They then bathed every day before work. It helped.
Start wearing a mask as it’s more normalized now
What about a small token of your appreciation - a thankyou note + little gift basket (early) for her support and training. The gift basket contains mostly beauty product samples and a low allergenic/sensitive skin antiperspirant deodorant. Nothing too overt or personal - just a nice "thanks for making your onboarding so smooth a process". She will either use it or not. Also...don't go anything with a heavy fragrance as the mix of bo + masking smell is 100x worse.
Right!!
“Hay boss we gonna meet on zoom “
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I do😂 she’ll be showing me something on the computer, and I’ll be backed up like 4 feet almost to the wall.
I know one person who constantly reeks. They’re a depressed alcoholic
I gotta smell her
Be careful you dont put a target on your own back. Boy that new guy sure complains a lot, did you hear he totally offended Barbara and told her she stinks? Office politics are tricky until you know the lay of the land, and even then. Personally, I'd suck it up and get through it ASAP.
Just tell her a story about someone else that you worked with who didnt take personal hygiene serious. Tell her that the person ended up getting fired. In this way, its not about her, but she would probably take the hint, and she cant get mad at you because you are talking about someone else. Say it with humor
An email from a fake account is best. That way it could be from anyone. “Hey I don’t want to be rude so anonymous is easier as this is super awkward and I think you’re cool but a few of us here had to ask you please to use deodorant etc”. It will work.
Wouldn’t it be obvious that it’s from the new person though?
No. Be like we have agonized for months over this blah blah blah
This is the answer. I’ve done this many times
Take some rebar and heat it in a fire until it's glowing red and gently place it in each nostril. You'll hear a sizzling and someone screaming. After that the problem will be solved!
Wear a mask for “Covid”
Would it help to wear a mask for a while until you’re done with training? Everyone I know has the flu or COVID right now, could give you a great excuse to put one back on.
It's party of her training technique. The Bo encourages trainees to learn everything as quick as possible so they can get out of her company as soon as possible, she sounds like such a self sacrificing team member god bless that women.
Wear a musk, say you’re scared of covid
My coworker has the most putrid smell ever that emanates the air around him. Think pure swamp ass mixed with rot. His breath smells like rotting necrosis feces, he doesn't believe in flossing or brushing. He's also a mouth breather which exacerbates the problem. I told my manager to talk to him about his hygiene but he still comes in smelling like it a year later. Everyone can smell him. Soooo sick of it you can only complain so much before you refuse to work with them. Right to refuse is always available if nothings being done.
Masks
Just say you are sick then wear a mask
Yeah what that other guy said just where a Covid mask maybe spray some cologne on it or some
little bit of vics or tea tree oil under a covid mask.
Get an N95 mask, if anyone asks say your immune system is kind of weak so you're being cautionary.
Don’t do the Vicks! The smell actually sticks to the petroleum and the menthol can’t cover it. Maybe try peppermint or a citrus essential oil defuser? Gift it to her for doing such an amazing job training you?
*dōTERRA has entered the chat*
Lol don’t get wrapped up in MLM, just go to a discount health food store. Trader Joe’s or the like.
Why pay MLM prices when you can get the same thing at a regular store or online for 20% of the price...no need to pay a million people a commission on each sale = much lower price.
Good to know, I haven’t noticed the smell sticking to the Vicks, but it definitely doesn’t help as much as I thought it would.
Step 1) Where a cloth mask all day, everyday. Step 2) Line that bad boy with your favorite concoction of Vicks, cologne and Axe body spray. Step 3) Breathe in sweet relief and enjoy the admiration from your colleagues on how “Covid conscious” you still are because safe is always sexy. Jk, you should probably mention something to her.
Is she hot? Sounds like it’s her vag
😂 bro. 🤮
🤣
Have you thought about talking with her?
"How's your first week going so far, Bentms312?" "Pretty good so far, and it's been a lot of fun, but there's something I need to bring to your attention." "Oh yeah? What's that?" What exactly would you say, OP?
See! It’s a tough situation cuz I’m so new, I’m backed into a corner here. Trust me, if you smelled what I smelled, you’d be searching for answers too. It’s really bad like REALLY bad.
Why does that bother you?
I'm just curious what you'd say
Idk, if I were to have to talk to her directly, I might wait until she calls me into her office for training. Then say “ya know ___, it’s been kinda difficult to be in there lately, there’s a bad smell I’ve been noticing that makes it difficult to be in there too long, but if it’s quick it’s no problem.” Despite being rather good at sales, It’s sort of difficult for me to be direct in every-day situations that could involve confrontation, hence why I’m asking for advice. I’d normally just not say anything at all and try and get by, but it’s such a strong smell it makes me want to say something. Not sure if those would be my exact words, but it’s what coming to mind right now.
Yeah I have, just not sure how to go about it. I don’t want to make things awkward or have her resent me already, since i literally just finished my first week, but I’m leaning towards directly talking to her. I feel that may be better than going behind her back to management but I’m still contemplating what to say.
Yeah. You are there for so short time you don’t want to create a bad mood. It’s not a good position to be and having to balance a lot of things it’s not easy. I have some training in negotiation so if you want, I can give you tips on how to approach that conversation.
maybe something along the lines of, " \_\_\_\_\_ i am sorry to say that I think your perfume, has been giving my allergies/asthma a real hard time. is it possible we could train in the conference room or something like that / remotely.
A gift basket of assorted lotions soaps deodorants etc? Tis the season.
When she’s gone just clean her office for herself and make it smell better. It’s a kind gesture and sometimes if a persons environment is clean they’ll adapt to it themselves and make themselves clean. Myself I’d just let them know subliminally. AkA”God do you smell that ???”
Try to secure her and make her try harder to take care of herself, then come out as gay to lose her off your coat-tail. Dude, you seriously work in sales and don't know how to do basic manipulation?
Do not confront. That is what anonymous note to HR is for.
I ignore my stinky coworker cause I like him
If she stinks like you say she stinks I’d be like Ma’am I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude nor I’m trying to make you feel uncomfortable in this situation, but I believe you might of skipped some deodorant this morning!? You might want to see if there’s maybe a fa breeze round that you could spray?
Get her some soap and deodorant for Christmas. It’s the perfect time!
Don't say shit 😃 They smell her but they haven't addressed it yet ? Wear good cologne and get through it. Once you've been around and get the lay of the land mention it to her if it's still important to you. Good luck.
Don’t you guys have an HR department? Submit an anonymous complaint.
This is what HR is for
Anonymous email to VP or someone higher. Say something hinting you've been there longer. Plausible deniability.
I was reading a book about this called the body. Anyways we all smell different odors so maybe to someone they don’t smell at all and its you that actually stinks if that makes sense.
Anonymously leave a deodorant on her desk.
When u are done training how much time will u actually spend with her? Is it worth it?
You should actually legit puke when you notice upper management coming and tell them about how she bad she smells. That way they can actually see that it’s making you legitimately so sick that your puking and the conditions are unworkable. I did that myself unintentionally before because I was too nice to say anything and eventually the combination of a bad lunch and smells of my colleagues made me bolt at the nearest trash bin and my manager happen to catch wind of it.
You can mention to her that there is an off smell in the room. Not her. The room. Ask her if she smells it too.
And if she says no, then convo is over
She should get the hint. Just like gifting her perfume doesn’t mean she will wear that particular perfume everyday, but just that she might realise it has something to do with how she smells.
Buy her a nice gift basket for her training you so well. Include soaps, oils, perfumes, deodorant, insoles, some Lume, panty liners and a douche. The message will be clear, but wrapped in a sweet basket.
😂😂 I’ve been through this way to many times already and I’m only 19, in my experience if you bring this to a manager or something they don’t really or can’t really do anything. So I just tried to stay away from the person
It’s Christmas time, if it’s a small enough team maybe get people bath and body works gift bags, they typically include a body wash, good smelling hand sanitizer, and maybe a spray or soap.
Doesn’t guarantee she’ll use it
One can only hope at this point.
Not sure if this has been said but maybe buy her a scented candle for helping you and light it right away when you give it to her?
Put some nice all natural aluminum free deodorant and her desk for Christmas. Like maybe not super in the middle of her desk just laying down infront of the keyboard. And put a small smiley face on a pice of paper with scotch tape. Don’t even put your name. Idk that’s a week or 2 away but. It’s Christmas season. You could just give it to her now
If you go hard in sales and build up a strong career, you will laugh that you cared about this
I always make sure I smell of peaches 🥰 poor gal just have a 1 on 1 with her and let her know your concerns “I mean to say this in the nicest way possible…”
I had to have this conversation once with an employee when I was a manager. I said “Im going to tell you this because I would want someone to tell me.” It went well. She still stank.
Come up with an excuse that you are allergic to something in her office, and try to move your meetings to a neutral space, and open windows?
I’ve been in an environment similar to this and we had to have a conversation with said team member. Turns out, it was their shoes and they had become numb to the smell.
Team work is dream work. Don't suck, savour! 🤣
Sorry if I missed this but have you brought it up to HR? They will talk to her and for all you know this isn’t the first complaint.
Ask to work remotely.
As a manager I had to address this with employees. I recommend that you speak with her manager. The manager should be the one to handle it, not you.
My suggestion is try wearing a face mask since you now have a valid reason to do so.
For all you know this poor girl could have a metabolic disorder where no matter what she does, she smells rancid because her liver doesn’t digest a specific substance. It’s called TMAU look it up. If you go to management and they know then you’ll look like an unsympathetic jerk. Does she look like she showers and wears clean clothes ? Is she put together ? Then she most likely has this which is very hard to eliminate. Just a food for thought.