Office-mates and B.O.

[Cube Inmate]

Hypothetical question: How do you deal with a situation where you're forced to share an office with someone who has a bad and consistent problem with body odour?

a) Tell him he stinks
b) Send an anonymous "you stink" email
c) Tell a manager
d) Buy a powerful air freshener
e) Learn to enjoy the cornucopia of aromas
f) Cauterize your smell receptors
g) Other???

While my multiple choice answers are a little bit tongue-in-cheek, I'd seriously like to know what opinions are out there. I don't currently have this problem, but others in my area are suffering with it, and I haven't figured out what I'd do in the situation.

[Flashpoint]

Confront. It is direct, honest, and long term you'll be better off.

Be sure to do it in private if possible.

[Azure]

Confront.

Absolutely confront.

Or kick him repeatedly until he learns how to use deodorant.

[bigtmac19]

I'm sure it would be extremely difficult, but I would say private talk, for sure.

[worth]

Cover the inside of his jacket with scratch and sniff stickers.

[4X4]

This reminds me of a story...

When I was in Italy, I was in the hostel business. At one of our places, there was an english guy that really stank. He was in Rome looking for a job and was paying day to day, hoping to find work and relocate close to it.

One day I picked up a group of 4 people at the train station to fill some empty beds. They payed for 3 nights, and went out exploring. The next morning, one of them (the spokesperson) politely asked for the balance of their cash back and directions to the nearest hostel that was stinky guy-free. Luckily we had space in another place or we'd have lost 200 euro.

My business partner promptly kicked the guy out. Italians are hilariously succinct when they speak english. He actually walked up to the guy and told him that he stinks and we can't have stinky people scaring off guests.

[Dion]

Slip a stick of deodorant anonymously in his jacket pocket. A bunch of us did that with a co worker a few years back. The next day he showed up for work and the BO was gone.

[alltherage]

Originally Posted by Cube Inmate

Hypothetical question: How do you deal with a situation where you're forced to share an office with someone who has a bad and consistent problem with body odour?

a) Tell him he stinks
b) Send an anonymous "you stink" email
c) Tell a manager
d) Buy a powerful air freshener
e) Learn to enjoy the cornucopia of aromas
f) Cauterize your smell receptors
g) Other???

While my multiple choice answers are a little bit tongue-in-cheek, I'd seriously like to know what opinions are out there. I don't currently have this problem, but others in my area are suffering with it, and I haven't figured out what I'd do in the situation.

Dude, you obviously need some pit stick. Your friends at the office are telling you about another "worker" because they want to tell you- but don't know how.

Some great D.O. ideas are:

http://www.oldspice.com/ (classic scents, very reliable)
http://www.theaxeeffect.com/ (more youth targeted, cologne-inspired smells)
http://www.gillette.com/ (you can smell glacier fresh!)
http://www.degreedeodorant.com/index.html (you won't even sweat)

Thank me later.

[kermitology]

Come in after him and drop a shopping bag containing deodorant and some Tide or Sunlight or whatever. Remember, half the smell is permeated in that sweater that he hasn't washed since he bought it two years ago.

Then prepare a two week course on how to use both products.

Ugh... Foreign electrical engineering professors were the worst for stuff like that.

[Cube Inmate]

Originally Posted by alltherage

Dude, you obviously need some pit stick. Your friends at the office are telling you about another "worker" because they want to tell you- but don't know how.

The smells I emit cannot be controlled by pit stick. Beano, perhaps...

[alltherage]

Originally Posted by Cube Inmate

The smells I emit cannot be controlled by pit stick. Beano, perhaps...

Hahaha, poop.

[Acid Rush]

Had this officemate who sat in front of me who smelled. I wasn't able to tell him because I thought it would be rude so I what I did was to bring Vicks vapo rub to work and put some on my hand and smell it whenever he was near. I didn't really know how to tell it without offending him.

[bigtmac19]

At least with a co-worker the potential is there to solve the problem. Whereas, we have a client who comes in who is completely rank. The entire office, even upstairs, smells by the time he leaves. We have to open all the windows and front door and spray air freshener everywhere. It's completely sickening.

[zukes]

My wife went to a guy's manager and got the problem sloved. It's pretty sad that some people don't know that they should shower more than once a week.

[ken0042]

In a previous line of work, I often worked with people who were new to Canada. In some of their homelands they never used deoderant. That creates two potential problems:

- Not noticing that they smell. We are used to the fact that we do not smell, so we notice when we don't use deoderant. They are used to the opposite; and are often not aware of the issue.

- If the person has lived for 30 or 40 years without using chemicals on their skin; the deoderant can often cause a rash, and they stop using it. Sometimes they need a friend to show them different types and how they work differently (ie- anti-persperant and deoderant are two very different products.) Or sometimes they need to be taught non-chemical ways of covering up that odor. (Baby powder for example.)

If your office mate falls into the later category, anonymous emails or pit stick left on his desk will not help.

[4X4]

Have you considered the semi honest method? TAlk with your officemates and agree that tomorrow you'll all make a comment to him. Start out with something like "Woah, buddy... Forgot the pitstick today, huh?"
If you act like it's a 'today' thing, and enough people do it, he'll hopefully remember to address it the next morning. The next day, if he has addressed it, make another joking comment along the lines of how he remembered the pitstick that day. He'll be self conscious about it after that (like the rest of civilization is).

[comrade]

I think telling the manager wouldn't be a bad idea, after all aren't they paid to handle things like this?

Otherwise I'd try the anonymous pit stick to see if it works and if it doesn't be honest and tell him privately.

The only way he's not going to be offended or more likely embarrassed is if you don't do anything but you shouldn't have to put up with that, not reeking isn't hard.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by zukes

My wife went to a guy's manager and got the problem sloved. It's pretty sad that some people don't know that they should shower more than once a week.

WHAT?!?!? I can't take that much downtime from surfing the net

[mykalberta]

Air fresheners - overload it near his/her cube. If they mention something to you, it gives you a perfect opening to mention the BO.

[CaptainCrunch]

Walk by his or her desk, and throw up in your mouth.