Smelly Colleagues

I think he must know, thanks to my friend emailing me regarding him whilst he was sat right next to me.

But he lives with his girlfriend! Surely she'd say something? It's not like it gets worse during the course of the day, he comes in stinking.

stinking person arrives at his desk one morning to find can of lynx with post-it note attached saying "use me"

smelly person left job that week.

problem solved.

smelly pupil committed suicide that week.

problem solved.

Surely, even if his stink was a side effect of medication or a ahem 'condition', he wouldn't stink first thing - ie: straight from the shower?

I was off for three months with chronic depression and lacked the energy to do almost anything. I ate, washed and slept though.

If you have the emotional energy/stability to get dressed and attend your work every day then there's no excuse for not washing.

I'm struggling here, I normally have my lunch at my desk but he has rendered this impossible. Had to fight for a seat in the crowded canteen and choke down my Cup-a-Soup (tomato, non smelly) in there.

well, if they're that scared of losing one new member of staff, then two (or more) of you longer-served types should threaten to quit over it. that should galvanise this so-called supervisor into action.

just keep up the pressure on your boss until she acts.

does this include taking him outside and saying: "look, friend, you're a nice bloke and everything, but has anyone told you you stink?"

We are all so paranoid now, for the first time we are all walking on eggshells and certain words have been struck from our vocabulary such as 'sweat' 'smell' 'stink' 'pong' - I could go on indefinitely....

Sadly these people usually use really cheap (smelling) perfume. I find it horrible. Sometimes even worse than a sweaty person.

If that wasn't a tip off I don't know what was.

He must smell it. He must notice other peoples reactions to it, the slight grimace as they pass him etc. And if he can't notice it, surely his girlfriend must? Unless she has the same appaling level of body odour as he has.

My boss is pretty shit. She's lazy, unprofessional and half the people in my team are her friends or relatives. She's of the 'anything for a quiet life' type and favours the 'everyone is my pal' method of management.

You and four others grab him after work, take him back to yours and bath him.

That’ll teach him.

If he still smells in the morning when (if) he comes in, give up and get another job.

The guy who sits next to Stinky sent a long winded email to the supervisor pointing out that it really was her place to say something, either that or he wanted his seat moved elsewhere. She huffed and puffed and asked us what we thought. We told her.

She took it up with her boss, who sent stinky an email requesting a meeting that afternoon at four o clock.

So four o clock comes, my finishing time, and as I'm leaving Stinky says "Well I've got a meeting with the boss!" all keen like. He took a fresh notepad and his 'good' pen, and set off down the office.

We actually felt rather guilty at this point!

So, monday comes around - and not a smell! Not even a tiny whiff! He was a lot more chatty and confident and seemed happier in himself and we were all getting along great. Until friday. He was humming again. Today. Humming.

Where did it all go wrong??

- wire brush and dettol
- bubble bath
- lynx africa
- Too Posh to Wash DVD

etc.