Stinky guy at work.

climbingsingle · June 2014

This guy fucking reeks. He's our new plant manager and his BO is overwhelming. And it lingers. I, along with 3 other co-workers have already complained to the owner. And the owner has already talked to this guy twice.

He still fucking smells. Remember that episode of Seinfeld? Yeah. It's that bad. I actually have to talk to him about something and I don't even want to approach him because he smells so bad.

What the fuck. This is ridiculous. Also, I should add I work at a pastry manufacturer. We're specifically told not to wear perfume or lotions that smell. Yes, even the people that work in the office and not the factory.

I wonder if I can start spraying him down with Lysol.

beethery · June 2014

Hit him up on the email whenever you have to talk to him. That way you don't have to get up in the stank bubble.

climbingsingle · June 2014

That's not a bad idea. I'll have to wait until he's away from his desk though. Because literally his desk is about 10 feet from mine.

birdybride2014 · June 2014

Keep some vicks vapor rub around so you can rub it under your nose whenever you have to chat!

Cookie Pusher · June 2014

Ugh, stinky BO is awful. I remember having to have a conversation with a resident once when I was an RA because the kid's roommate did not feel comfortable sharing a room with the smelly kid. Apparently, daily showering is NOT a universal concept...

JCbride2015 · June 2014

At what point is his boss going to decide this is unprofessional though, and fire him? You said the owner has already talked to him TWICE and he hasn't changed? Maybe he has some crazy medical condition.... although I can't really think of one that would cause such bad BO you can't control it. Does he otherwise look dirty? Does he change his clothes?

Even if it's awkward, I'd still send him emails from ten feet away. Do everything you can to avoid contact. Yuck.

climbingsingle · June 2014

JCbride2015 said:

At what point is his boss going to decide this is unprofessional though, and fire him? You said the owner has already talked to him TWICE and he hasn't changed? Maybe he has some crazy medical condition.... although I can't really think of one that would cause such bad BO you can't control it. Does he otherwise look dirty? Does he change his clothes?

Even if it's awkward, I'd still send him emails from ten feet away. Do everything you can to avoid contact. Yuck.

Unfortunately smelly guy and I report directly to the owner. And for some crazy reason, the owner doesn't smell it! He's the only one.

According to what the owner said, smelly guy admitted to being someone that sweats a lot. He doesn't look dirty, just slovenly sometimes. He wears a shirt and tie every day (which is not necessary, he's more dressed than the owner.) but doesn't wear it well, KWIM? He does seem now to change his clothes. In the winter, he didn't. He kept wearing the same smelly sweater vest every day. Ugh.

ScoutF · June 2014

He could have a legitimate medical condition. My mom works in HR and has had the same talk with a guy who works in one of her plants. They even gave him vouchers for new work clothes and shoes. Turns out he has some condition that he was unaware of (thyroid maybe?). Once he got on medication the issue went away.

loveislouder · June 2014

My gym teacher in junior high was allergic to all soaps, deodorant, etc. He smelled BAD but there was nothing he could do.

JCbride2015 · June 2014

loveislouder said:

My gym teacher in junior high was allergic to all soaps, deodorant, etc. He smelled BAD but there was nothing he could do.

Oh, sweet irony. A junior high gym teacher? The health class talk about deodorant must have been fun.

climbingsingle · June 2014

I don't understand how he doesn't smell it on himself. And if I had been talked to more than once from my boss and I couldn't figure out what the problem was, I'd go to the doctor.

But the feeling that I got from my boss was that this wasn't news to the stinky guy.

Also, he says he worked for Disney for years. Would Disney have allowed this to go on? A stinky employee in their pretty park? Hmm.

theycallmelinz · June 2014

I worked in retail through college and one of my managers (we changed often, that's a long story) smelled SO bad. He was also a raging alcoholic and we think a heroin-addict (again, another story) but it was so bad, we actually had customers come into the store with their friends and ask if the manager was in because "their friends didn't believe how bad he really smelled." Oh but no worries, he was sure to spray himself down in Axe every day while in the store office with no vents.

gmcr78 · June 2014

Ugh, that's the worst. I work in a large office with people of many cultures, some of which don't bathe/use deodorant every day. Sharing an elevator with one or a group of these people is excruciating at times.
Don't get me started on the ladies room. Let's just say it's easy to tell when an unshowered person has occupied the ladies room before you.

AlexisA01 · June 2014

I've had nurses with horrible body odor. It's was gross and I couldn't be around her in the OR. Back in college I lived with a girl who had problems with her sweaty odor. She couldn't notice any bad smell in general. It was the most horrible experience when she would go into the bathroom and the bathroom would smell up especially when she was the only one in there. The girl was dirty. There is a condition I learned back in med school regarding people Who smell of fecal matter(pee and/or poop). Some people have that as a medical condition. @JCbride2015

Emmy1493 · June 2014

To be honest, I don't have a issue with BO as I shower regularly. But for some unknown reason, my underarms can get really bad smell wise. I have researched it and supposedly it's bacterial that makes it smell, and Dial AB soap can help. I tried that alone and it seems to help, but also anti-antiperspirant helps too. I am glad though that I can recognize it's me so I can fix it and not be in denial. I guess if it's a medical thing though that would suck, but I mean c'mon there is something you can do I would think.

huskypuppy14 · June 2014

He could have a medical condition; there was someone in college who had that medical condition (I don't remember what it was called) where he smelled like BO all the time, even if he showered every day. Seriously, I felt really bad for him.

There was a few times where I had gotten on the bus and the bus reeked of BO. Everyone ends up knowing who it is, because as soon as they get off, the smell dissipates. Fun times.

TheGrimReaper · June 2014

ScoutF said:

He could have a legitimate medical condition. My mom works in HR and has had the same talk with a guy who works in one of her plants. They even gave him vouchers for new work clothes and shoes. Turns out he has some condition that he was unaware of (thyroid maybe?). Once he got on medication the issue went away.

I came to say this. Maybe he can't help it. It sucks, but I wouldn't be mean to him or try to compromise his job.

suburbanstepmom · June 2014

I am one of those people who is very sensitive to smells - good or bad. So this would probably be a deal breaker for me. Even if I loved my job I would get sick everyday having to work near someone who smelled that bad. I'd have to approach my boss and give them a "him or me" type ultimatum.

So sorry you have to deal with this & I feel really bad for that guy too since it seems like he has an issue that needs to be addressed.

daria24 · June 2014

There is a genetic disorder called trimethylaminuria that causes an awful rotting fish smell. I did a show about a woman that suffered from it. It was really sad actually, because she could smell it and she tried everything, even Botoxing her sweat glands. The only thing that helped was changing her diet, and that only lessens it. Her husband claims he can't smell it though, so maybe some people are immune to the stench.

climbingsingle · June 2014

daria24 said:

There is a genetic disorder called trimethylaminuria that causes an awful rotting fish smell. I did a show about a woman that suffered from it. It was really sad actually, because she could smell it and she tried everything, even Botoxing her sweat glands. The only thing that helped was changing her diet, and that only lessens it. Her husband claims he can't smell it though, so maybe some people are immune to the stench.

SITB
That's terrible!

lovesclimbing · June 2014

My dad had a co-worker who, although he showered religiously, at least once a day if not twice, and still smelled bad. He didn't have a medical condition that my dad knew of. My dad thought it was probably the food. Your diet can definitely contribute to stuff like this. My dad said this guy ate 95 percent junk food.

climbingsingle · June 2014

This stinky guy does not eat well at all. Lots of fast food.

mrsmorales2be · June 2014

That's awful!

Knottie37373131 · June 2014

Smelly co-workers are the worst. At least when the customer is smelly you are not stuck with them for an 8 hour shift.

weddingcactus · August 2014

Wow, that sucks. I too have a stinky co-worker. She regularly smells like she left wet clothes in the washer and then after they got that rotten smell just tossed them in the dryer to unwrinkle before throwing them on. When she does wear some scent (not sure if it's soap or perfume) it lingers and permeates everywhere around her desk. Beyond that, she is very flatulent and makes no effort to leave our work area (cubicles) to break wind. I think I would be less bothered if she was pleasant to work with, but she's not. My sympathies to all others who must share work space with stinky people! I make every effort to minimize my odor at the office (daily showering before work, no smelly lotions, perfumes, or laundry detergents) and I wish others would take the same consideration.

carrie0924 · August 2014

I actually heard a piece on NPR recently about a woman who has really bad BO. It's a medical condition. She can't help it. She showers a couple times a day. Wears prescription strength deodorant. The whole nine. She's absolutely totally embarrassed by it, and has had multiple really embarrassing conversations with HR about it. So that's a huge bummer that you have to deal with it because stinky people, well, stink. But do try to keep in mind that he is likely aware and might not be able to do anything about it.

novella1186 · August 2014

beethery said:

Hit him up on the email whenever you have to talk to him. That way you don't have to get up in the stank bubble.

Yep. There is a gross annoying guy in my office who literally sits 10 feet away from me and I just email him if I need to tell him anything.

AlexisA01 · August 2014

I dealt with a former surgical nurse who had really bad body odor. At first it was bad but after a while, the other physicians complained about her body odor and HR had to have a conversation with her. She smelled like a mixture of cat litter, a sweaty ass gym locker room and one doctor said "pure ass". She was putrid and it was unbearable. She would take showers and even used Tom's deodorant. I noticed that she was unaware of the faces patients made especially when they would wrinkle their noses. Since she was under my division of nurses I had to deal with her and she never had a "known" medical condition. She just told me she was unaware of smelly bad things and she said she would wash her bedding whenever she got around to it(basically every couple of months) and would throw her clothing on the floor in her bedroom. Cleaning was something her parents let slide on.

larrygaga · August 2014

I work in a nursing home so I have to deal with some pretty horrific stanks of a wide variety. Of course you should never be mean to someone because of how they smell, cause you never know what their situation is. My trick if I am feeling especially queasy that day is to put vicks vapo rub under my nose. I just tell everyone I have allergies really bad (which I do, so it's not a lie, but it's a lie anyone could say).

I read in a book once that a nose is a most forgiving organ. It puts off a powerful protest right off but then it gives up and gets used to it. I think this is very true.

lurkergirl · August 2014

Stinky guy at work.

Re: Stinky guy at work.

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