The limits of tact and diplomacy

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Or, alternatively, what do you do if your new workmate, who you are forced to sit next to every day for an undetermined amount of time, has without doubt the worst BO of anyone you have ever encountered?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 14 August 2003 07:06 (twenty-two years ago)

leave a bar of soap on his desk

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Thursday, 14 August 2003 07:15 (twenty-two years ago)

if it's as bad as you say it is he won't make a big....wait for it...stink about it

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Thursday, 14 August 2003 07:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Definitely a stinker of a problem! hahahahahahahhaha! *falls off chair*

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Thursday, 14 August 2003 08:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Tell yr workmate that someone has accused you of stinking the office out, and you can't understand why cos you KNOW you have a shower every morning, use deodorant/soap etc - "I mean, who wouldn't in this weather"

― Andrew L (Andrew L), Thursday, 14 August 2003 08:32 (twenty-two years ago)

A friend of mine had a colleague with a BO problem. His manager noticed as well and decided to drop not-very-subtle hints by loudly complaining of a smell of "wet cardboard" whenever in the office.

Despite the above, probably the best way to deal with it is to complain to tha boss who can take the chap aside for a private chat.

― robster (robster), Thursday, 14 August 2003 08:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, like Andrew suggests, go on and on about the stink pretending it hasn't occured to you that it might be them.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 14 August 2003 08:44 (twenty-two years ago)

make him some earrings out of wire and glade air fresheners. not only will this make him smell more pleasant, but he'll also have the added advantage of rocking the pat butcher look.

― j0e (j0e), Thursday, 14 August 2003 08:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Why are you all assuming it is a man?

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 14 August 2003 08:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Because women don't sweat. They glow.

― j0e (j0e), Thursday, 14 August 2003 08:58 (twenty-two years ago)

apparently

― j0e (j0e), Thursday, 14 August 2003 08:58 (twenty-two years ago)

My brother had this problem with a colleague. Everyone in the office had noticed but no one said / did anything. Then one particularly hot day the stinky colleague turned up wearing a leather jacket and smelling extra bad and the boss said to him - in front of the entire office - 'for god's sake X [not Person X] go home and take a shower and use some deodrant while you're at it' (or words to that effect). The poor bloke was mortified. Public humiliation is not a good way to deal with the situation.

― Emma, Thursday, 14 August 2003 09:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, but it's the only thing they understand. Otherwise the skanky bastards would have done something about it before.

― Mark C (Mark C), Thursday, 14 August 2003 09:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Additional problem - he has just come over from Turkey... meaning I suspect any blunt comments along the lines of "Hey! You stink!" will be taken especially badly. And probably result in us getting sued.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 14 August 2003 09:36 (twenty-two years ago)

tell him he stinks or refuse to work next to him ...

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Thursday, 14 August 2003 09:38 (twenty-two years ago)

i think talking about it like it hasnt occured to you that he is the source of the distress is the way to go

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 14 August 2003 09:39 (twenty-two years ago)

maybe its like garlic - if you give up on washing, then you won't smell him either. therefore i strongly advise bad personal hygiene...

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Thursday, 14 August 2003 09:41 (twenty-two years ago)

clothes peg.

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 14 August 2003 09:42 (twenty-two years ago)

or just walk up to him one day and spray him with lynx africa or blue stratos...

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Thursday, 14 August 2003 09:51 (twenty-two years ago)

you mean you can still *get* Blue Stratos???

― MarkH (MarkH), Thursday, 14 August 2003 09:53 (twenty-two years ago)

get everybody to go into work wearing asbestos suits.

― j0e (j0e), Thursday, 14 August 2003 09:54 (twenty-two years ago)

I think if you just hint at a bad smell you can't identify the source of, he will just think "yeah, that's weird. oh well."

you have to visibly flinch when he approaches you.

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 14 August 2003 09:57 (twenty-two years ago)

you mean you can still *get* Blue Stratos???

you must be able to. my whole universe will collapse if you can't...

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Thursday, 14 August 2003 10:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Set fire to him.

― NA (Nick A.), Thursday, 14 August 2003 14:17 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, but imagine the smell though! even worse!

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Thursday, 14 August 2003 14:20 (twenty-two years ago)

But it would be so cozy.

― NA (Nick A.), Thursday, 14 August 2003 14:20 (twenty-two years ago)

RJG is right, I had this prob and we went on and on about it but the dude never twigged...

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 14 August 2003 15:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Here's a question: what do you do if the person at the desk next to yours is constantly clearing their throat? Like once a minute? And they're not about to say something, they're just working on their computer, but they're still clearing their throat every 60 seconds? And it's about to make you vomit?

― NA (Nick A.), Friday, 15 August 2003 12:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I say vomit.

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 15 August 2003 12:04 (twenty-two years ago)

*ahem*

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 15 August 2003 12:28 (twenty-two years ago)

if he's turkish, tell him that yer greek or kurdish and then tell him "you smell like a turk!"

it probably won't get the message across and it won't be at all tactful or diplomatic, but you might get end up in a nasty office fight!

― Tad (llamasfur), Friday, 15 August 2003 12:29 (twenty-two years ago)

just say; 'dude you smell like BO, sorry but it's best for you to know' a.k.a spinach in teeth routine with different words and music.

― Nellie (nellskies), Friday, 15 August 2003 13:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Er, what about contacting the human resources people or office manager or whatever, have them confront him - cause I am sure you are not the only one who's been bothered by it.

― daria g (daria g), Friday, 15 August 2003 16:04 (twenty-two years ago)

nine months pass...

Bosko Balaban Stats For Season

Name Bosko Balaban
Team Aston Villa
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Avg Minutes Played Per Start 0
Goals 0
Avg Goal Mins When Starting 0.0
Avg Mins Played/Goal Scored 0
Goals Scored As Sub 0
Number of Bookings 0
Total Booking Minutes 0
Avg Bookings Per Start 0
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Avg Booking Minutes When Starting 0.0

― bosko, Monday, 14 June 2004 16:17 (twenty-one years ago)

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