Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd put a stick of deodorant on his desk.

Maybe this?

To me, this sounds pretty insulting. I'd rather just talk to the person.

What do you say? It's humiliating either way. And the longer it continues, the worse it gets, both smell-wise and humiliation-wise.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd put a stick of deodorant on his desk.

Maybe this?

To me, this sounds pretty insulting. I'd rather just talk to the person.

Anonymous wrote:I'd put a stick of deodorant on his desk.

Maybe this?

Michelle says Obama smells horrible too.

Anonymous wrote:19:31
+1

I am a supervisor who handles this issue more than i would like to, and direct is the best approach.

And if they continue? I can't imagine firing someone because they smell.

Personally once upon a time when I was still a manager with a similar problem, I took the guy out to lunch, treated him and spoke to him. Making a nice gesture can sometimes soften the blow of such news.

Anonymous wrote:19:31
+1

I am a supervisor who handles this issue more than i would like to, and direct is the best approach.

More than you'd like to? Wow. I can't imagine b.o. being such a big problem these days.

19:31
+1

I am a supervisor who handles this issue more than i would like to, and direct is the best approach.

Hi Op. I sympathize with your situation but you need to be direct with him. I would approach him privately and let him know that he has a very strong body odor smell and he needs to find a way to improve his personal hygine. Yes, he could have a disease or be on a medication that causes this but folks with these conditions are generally very up front about this and there are ways that their doctor can help them. He really may not be aware of how bad he smells but he needs to make an effort to improve the situation. Approaching this is similar to asking someone to tone down their perfume or dealing with strong cigarette smell.

I'd put a stick of deodorant on his desk.

Unfortunately, I don't have HR... it's just me and a few employees. And, I'm pretty sure it is not a medical issue - he has told me in the past that he "is just one of those lucky people who doesn't need to wear deodorant."

What pp said. That's what HR is for.

have HR talk to her/him in a professional matter. Yeh it could be a medical issue

There are some medical conditions that cause this. So, whatever you do, I'd tread lightly. I can't remember what they are called, but I once had a co worker with such a medical condition and it took me a few years to get used to it.

One of my employees has terrible body odor. Like, sometimes I think he smells like a homeless person. We work in close quarters, and we see a lot of clients in their homes, and it is embarrassing and also, well, stinky. I know we can't all smell like sunshine and roses every day, but this is nearly every day. How do I approach this sensitive issue?