How do you tell a colleague that they stink tactfully?

[KingEric]

I work with someone who quite frankly stinks.
His body odour is so bad that you can tell if he's been in the office even when he's left.

We have a small team of five people who use the office and it's getting to the point where we have stopped eating our lunch in there due to the odour.
I've tried to drop hints but it's going over his head. I don't want to hurt his feelings but I think that I might have to.

Any ideas?

[Deesse23]

#1 1v1, not 1vX

[Dexta]

Slip him an anonymous note. Mention that you've known lots of people over the years with poor bathing habits, so it's nothing to be ashamed of, but it has to change as you've heard multiple complaints about it. Also mention armpits, feet, crotch and laundry. Also say they're a very valued member of the team.

If the shit hits the fan in any big way, just remember the old adage RE religion: "There's no polite way to tell somebody they've devoted their life to a delusion."

[Deesse23]

I would avoid anonymous like the plague.

[Dānu]

Talk to his supervisor. That's really a problem that they should deal with.

[jerry mcmasters]

Slip him an anonymous note. Mention that you've known lots of people over the years with poor bathing habits, so it's nothing to be ashamed of, but it has to change as you've heard multiple complaints about it. Also mention armpits, feet, crotch and laundry. Also say they're a very valued member of the team.

If the shit hits the fan in any big way, just remember the old adage RE religion: "There's no polite way to tell somebody they've devoted their life to a delusion."

This seems like a good idea.  Also sign the note with another office worker's name.

[jerry mcmasters]

I work with someone who quite frankly stinks.
His body odour is so bad that you can tell if he's been in the office even when he's left.

We have a small team of five people who use the office and it's getting to the point where we have stopped eating our lunch in there due to the odour.
I've tried to drop hints but it's going over his head. I don't want to hurt his feelings but I think that I might have to.

Any ideas?

May have to talk to him.  What do you know of his personality, how do you think he would react to being told directly (in a nice manner as described by Dexta above)?

[adey67]

Buy a can of deodorant and some shower gel and leave them on his desk, he'll get the message.

[brewerb]

Buy a can of deodorant and some shower gel and leave them on his desk, he'll get the message.

We tried that on a co-worker we called 'buffalo breath', didn't work. He continued to sit alone at lunch breaks.

[pattylt]

It really depends on the dynamics of your work group. When we had an issue with a coworker, one of us would privately tell them that xxx was becoming a problem and we don’t want them to embarrass themselves. We never took it to management…they wouldn’t be caring and concerned. We had a bad coffe breath case once and a too long of a break case with another. But, we were all pretty close and we all stated we’d want to know if we were offensive/rude. Being close with each other, we could handle it. Other circumstances may vary.

[Kim]

Start with the health - his health & your concern for him.
Be nice about it & let him know you are concerned about his wellbeing.  Let him know that he may not be aware of his oder, but that you are concerned he may have a physical condition causing it.  Ask if he's feeling down or stressed - that alone can cause the body to do a ton of weird things. Excessive sweating is common with hormonal issues - he could have a thyroid problem he isn't even aware of.

Just be polite & say you really want to make sure he's ok. Let him know that if you didn't care about him or his feelings, you wouldn't bother telling him. You just don't want to let an avoidable embarrassment happen & you're pulling for him to make the best impression around the office. Suppose he wanted to interview for a different position - not a good time for that kind of issue.
After some conversation on the subject, you can then also point out that he may just need a few simple changes.

Oddly, if one's microbiology is doing it's job, the sweat will smell of onions and/or garlic. Could be he just needs to launder his clothes in a different detergent & use a different scented dryer sheet. Also, the body can have different reactions to different soaps, deodorants, & perfumes.
Let him know that when things change, we can all step up our game in the area of self awareness. Again, let him know that he's part of the team & if no one cared, they'd let him go about his smelly business on his own.

[brewerb]

Your right to not bathe stops where my nose starts. 

[KingEric]

Thanks all.
A few ideas there to try...

[jerry mcmasters]

Take up a collection from all the office workers around him. Use the money to hire an assassin.

[Dexta]

Actually you know what? Just say it straight and true. "Listen pall, no offence but your body odour is a big problem, you stink and it's fucking up the workplace. Shower regularly and launder your clothes the same. I'm being 100% straight with you on this one out of respect."

[KingEric]

The other problem is that the smell is so bad, even when he's gone that people might think that the smell is coming from whichever of us is in the office at the time they visit.
The place is pretty PC so we can't just blurt out to everyone that he stinks.
It's disgusting if you're walking behind him in his slipstream you literally have to hold your breath.

[brewerb]

The other problem is that the smell is so bad, even when he's gone that people might think that the smell is coming from whichever of us is in the office at the time they visit.
The place is pretty PC so we can't just blurt out to everyone that he stinks.
It's disgusting if you're walking behind him in his slipstream you literally have to hold your breath.

Sounds like a hostile work environment to me. Ask the HR person to have a spontaneous one on one with him in a closed room.

[Antonio]

Do they make odor meters that you could stick on his desk

[jerry mcmasters]

Secretly call in a Terrorist Act in Progress and when the SWAT team bursts in the windows point at the guy and yell "Stinky McStinkface!"

[KingEric]

There is a meeting arranged for next Thursday involving HR and the man in question.
The team raised the issue with our line manager on Friday and have been informed via WhatsApp of the above.

Hopefully that'll be the end of it.

[brewerb]

There is a meeting arranged for next Thursday involving HR and the man in question.
The team raised the issue with our line manager on Friday and have been informed via WhatsApp of the above.

Hopefully that'll be the end of it.

Unless the individual in questions cleans up for the scheduled meeting and there is no olfactory evidence, only testimony.

Plus, in my experience the unwashed tend to resist and remain unwashed.

Best of luck.

[jerry mcmasters]

Has an airstrike been called in yet?

[Minimalist]

You could try putting a soap-on-a-rope around his neck. Then if he still doesn't get the hint you could hang him with it.

[KingEric]

He's been asking around if any of us know what tomorrow's meeting is about, we've all played dumb.
I think that it's probably going to end in tears.

[jerry mcmasters]

He's been asking around if any of us know what tomorrow's meeting is about, we've all played dumb.
I think that it's probably going to end in tears.

Yeah, but whose?