Employee Asks If They’re Wrong For Reporting A Smelly Coworker To Their Boss

• By Arsalan Sajid
• 4 months ago
• 5 minutes read

Human personality is defined by appearance, behavior, and smell, and many people are remembered for their distinct scent. Everyone likes to smell amazing, therefore they spend a lot of money on hygiene and toiletries so that others are drawn to their pleasant odor and want to be near them, which boosts their confidence.

OP told a tale about a coworker who smelled bad, and no one knew how to encourage her to improve her hygiene. OP’s employer recruited a 24-year-old assistant, Tammy, a year ago who was a diligent worker and pleasant, but her horrible odor was unbearable to her coworkers. One female coworker gave her a bundle of toiletries to make her think about hygiene, but all of the items sit unused and packed on her desk. Clients also complained about her unpleasant stench, but she remained calm in her own world. No one wanted her to sit in their car because her odor took many days to fade away. Read the complete story to find out what occurred next and how the OP handled the situation.

Source: Reddit

Image Credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)

1. OP wonders if it was wrong to report the smelly coworker to their boss.

2. A year ago, OP’s company recruited Tammy, a young assistant who worked hard and was pleasant, but had terrible hygiene.

3. Tammy smelled terrible, and several customers complained about it.

4. Many coworkers brought it up, and one lady coworker even gave her toiletries to make her think about her cleanliness, but it was ineffective.

5. One gentleman accurately described Tammy’s body odor.

6. Whenever Tammy delivered mail into OP’s office, OP became nauseous and had to apply air freshener on a regular basis to keep the odor at bay.

7. Nobody wanted her to sit in their car since the odor took time to disappear. She had an excess of showers in her home, yet she decided to remain filthy.

8. OP claimed she didn’t bathe frequently, and because she wore sleeveless clothes with thick underarm hair, sweat accumulated and generated smell.

9. OP reported to the boss about the problem, and he went straight to address her, telling her to go home and bathe.

10. OP felt bad as she got humiliated by the boss because of the OP’s complaints.

At first, OP believed she couldn’t afford hot baths and washers at home, but this was not true. One coworker who visited her confirmed that she had all the necessary amenities. Tammy had to come to OP’s private office to deliver the mail, and after she left, OP became queasy and had to spray air freshener until it dominated the stink. OP claimed she did not bathe often, and because she wore sleeveless clothing, her underarm hair collected sweat and created stench. OP complained to their manager, who walked right to her desk and asked her to go home and take a bath. OP felt awful for her later, because she was humiliated in front of coworkers.

Now that you’ve heard the story, let’s dive into what Redditors had to say. Keep reading to discover other people’s perspectives on the matter.

11. Redditor hopes that Tammy will pay more attention to her hygiene after this humiliation.

12. Redditor supports OP taking the matter to their boss, as he has the authority to handle it in his own way.

13. Indeed! The boss may have a lot more concerns other than OP, which led to his severe response with Tammy.

14. Yes, if Tammy couldn’t understand the meaning of getting toiletries as a gift, then others had to be blunt to tell her clearly.

15. Redditor believes that the boss had no other choice than to ask her to get a bath in front of other coworkers because of her previous behavior.

16. According to Redditor, there are individuals who cannot afford washers or hot showers, thus we must treat them with kindness.

17. Indeed! The boss should have handled the situation discreetly.

18. Redditor, who used to have a similar coworker with a horrible stink, fully understands the OP’s problem.

19. Redditor asserts that body hair does not generate odor unless the person bathes infrequently.

20. According to Redditor, Tammy needed to concentrate on her personal grooming, which was expected of her in the workplace.

OP did the correct thing by complaining to their manager because confronting her personally would have felt far worse. They had given her ample signs in the past, but she didn’t comprehend or perhaps didn’t want to understand, so she suffered the consequences. The workplace requires an atmosphere that encourages employees to work efficiently and pleasantly, but if anybody smells as bad as Tammy, no one wants to work in her presence. Tammy should consider office decorum and dress appropriately with a pleasant odor in order to attract clients; otherwise, she should be prepared for such humiliation and, in certain cases, firing if she does not improve after being warned. What do you think about it? Share your ideas in the comments area and get in touch with Wholesomeness for more stories.