Need advice on sensitive (but urgent) issue

xapprenticex

I feel bad for you and totally understand what you mean by feeling physically sick. Having to deal with it for more than a weak is not right.

Red-Squirrel_2

lloydy84 wrote: »

Thank you for the reply. It is not a path we want to go down but one member of staff already rang in sick today and I doubt we'll see her for the rest of the week.

Friday she was almost in tears feeling physically sick.

That sounds a bit overdramatic. I can't imagine that anybody would smell that bad and still able to walk around and work, and I'm a nurse so I've smelled some smells.

Have a little sympathy for the poor guy, I'm sure he isn't doing it on purpose and think how he'll feel when he realises what all his coworkers are saying behind his back.

Your issue is with the manager who needs to be clearer in his expectations of a wash/shower and clean clothes each day, and to find out and provide support if this isn't possible if for example he has lost his home and is sofa surfing or sleeping in a car or if he has a medical condition? You don't know for certain so try not to judge so harshly.

shortcrust

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

That sounds a bit overdramatic. I can't imagine that anybody would smell that bad and still able to walk around and work, and I'm a nurse so I've smelled some smells.

Have a little sympathy for the poor guy, I'm sure he isn't doing it on purpose and think how he'll feel when he realises what all his coworkers are saying behind his back.

Your issue is with the manager who needs to be clearer in his expectations of a wash/shower and clean clothes each day, and to find out and provide support if this isn't possible if for example he has lost his home and is sofa surfing or sleeping in a car or if he has a medical condition? You don't know for certain so try not to judge so harshly.

I have an acquaintance who really does smell that bad. I've nearly been physically sick a few times because of the smell and I genuinely wouldn't be able to work with him. You don't have to be devoid of sympathy to want to remedy a situation like this.

The OP's said they'd be happy to talk to the guy about it which is admirable. I think all this 'you could face a disciplinary' stuff is bizarre. I'd be tempted to give an ultimatum along the lines of deal with it by the end of the week or I'll deal with myself.

lloydy84

shortcrust wrote: »

I have an acquaintance who really does smell that bad. I've nearly been physically sick a few times because of the smell and I genuinely wouldn't be able to work with him. You don't have to be devoid of sympathy to want to remedy a situation like this.

The OP's said they'd be happy to talk to the guy about it which is admirable. I think all this 'you could face a disciplinary' stuff is bizarre. I'd be tempted to give an ultimatum along the lines of deal with it by the end of the week or I'll deal with myself.

Thank you shortcrust for this response, I am not unsympathetic at all, and really do work with the nicest people as well and they are struggling alot, but after six weeks of being VERY patient, I did finally have to ask for some advice.

I think putting in a grievance to my area manager asking for steps to be taken is the best advice I have heard so far so will put it to the rest of my colleagues and see what they say.

lincroft1710

Had this problem with a colleague in an office some 45 yrs ago. Junior colleagues asked me to tell section manager who immediately told office manager, who within 5 mins called culprit into his office and told him to come into work next day in a clean shirt and tie (culprit wore same Bri-nylon turtle neck shirt every day for a week).

Next day no shirt and tie, but clean B-n tn shirt and smelled of Brut rather than BO.