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Ask an HR Expert
Sep 25, 2020 9:06:00 AM
Question: I have an employee with a hygiene issue. How should I handle that?
Answer: Dealing with an employee who has a hygiene issue is not easy. Having to tell an employee that he or she consistently has bad breath or a body odor is difficult to do and may be very embarrassing for the employee. To avoid unnecessary embarrassment and any form of public shame, employers should adopt the following steps when confronted with this type of issue.Step 1: Put Employees on Notice That Bad Hygiene Is Not Acceptable
Employers should develop a policy for grooming and hygiene expectations. This policy can explain why good hygiene is necessary and why it is so important for the employer that all employees make good hygiene a priority. Some reasons include:
- Bad hygiene may offend customers and clients making them less likely to want to work with the employer;
- Not washing properly or taking care of oneself increases the risk of spreading disease and germs to other employees; and
- It is not pleasant for other employees to have to work with an individual who has a hygiene issue.
The policy should be printed and published as this will ensure that all employees are aware of the policy and it is successfully enforced by management. A good hygiene or grooming policy should also:
- Provide examples of good hygiene, like brushing teeth, bathing regularly, and washing hands;
- Provide employees with examples of bad hygiene such as wearing the same clothes without washing them in between wearing them, not cleaning out dirt and grime that accumulates under fingernails, and not washing or brushing one's hair; and
- Request that employees approach their supervisors if there is a specific reason that makes it difficult to practice good hygiene. Supervisors should also be encouraged to work with employees who have such issues to see if there is a particular reason why an employee is not complying with the policy and changes that can be made going forward.
Employers should make sure that the hygiene goals for employees are reasonable. If employees perform manual labor, the employer cannot reasonably expect that employees are all perfectly coiffed and dressed.
Step 2: Monitor Employees With Hygiene Problems
Supervisors should observe whether any employees seem to have a hygiene issue on a regular basis. This is something that is very difficult to determine after only one day of observation, and so quick decisions or judgments should not be made without spending significant time observing the employee. If other employees complain about a co-worker's hygiene, the supervisor will have to take action to rectify the situation. Once the supervisor has determined that a particular employee has a hygiene issue, the next step is to address this issue with employee.
Step 3: Address the Hygiene Issue Directly With the Employee
The first step in addressing the issue with the employee is to quietly and discretely take the employee aside for a confidential conversation. If the employee's co-workers have complained about that employee's hygiene, they may suspect the nature of the conversation. To avoid any unnecessary embarrassment, it is best for the supervisor to speak to the employee in a private and confidential meeting.
Supervisors also should try to hold the meeting with the employee about the hygiene issue at the end of the day, before the employee leaves to go home at night. Speaking to the employee in the morning may make the employee feel self-conscious and uncomfortable for the rest of the day, especially if it is difficult for the employee to return home and change or shower.
When speaking with the employee, the employer should keep the following principles in mind so that the conversation goes as smoothly as possible and a resolution may be reached.
- To begin the conversation, it is important to remember to empathize with the employee as much as possible.
Example: "I know that this may be difficult to hear, but as a supervisor, it is my obligation to [Enter Employer Name] to handle these matters as uncomfortable as it may be."
- Focus the conversation on work. The employer should not pass judgment on the employee or try to determine why the employee has such a problem. The best way to do this is to emphasize the negative effects on the work environment from the employee's hygiene issue.
Example: "Even though you may not perceive it as a problem, it may be interpreted by others as signaling that you do not care enough about work to try to present yourself as professionally as possible. Your image impacts other co-workers, clients and customers."
- Be clear that the employee needs to address the problem. Failing to directly address the issue will confuse the employee and not accomplish anything.
Step 4: Provide the Employee With a Chance to Explain
In speaking with the employee, the employer should provide the employee with a chance to explain the cause of the hygiene issue. The hygiene issue may be related to a medical, religious, or cultural issue. If that is the case, the employer is legally required to work with the employee so as to reasonably accommodate the employee's needs. The employer or supervisor should be very careful to ensure that the employee does not feel discriminated against as a result of this hygiene issue especially if it is caused by religious or medical reasons.
If there is a reasonable basis for the hygiene issue that is protected by law, the supervisor will have to consider ways to address this problem in the most conscientious and professional manner possible.
Example: If the employee's bad breath is caused by a medical condition, the supervisor may ask the employee to be conscientious of this problem and to use breath mints or brush their teeth more regularly, especially when interacting with customers and clients.
Step 5: Find a Solution to the Problem
The first discovery of a hygiene issue should not be handled as a corrective action matter and the employee should not be made to feel like he or she is in danger of losing their job. It should be made clear to the employee, however, that there is a problem that must be corrected.
To ensure that the employee complies with the policy, the employer should adopt the following procedures:
- Set clear goals for the employee to follow.
Example: If the employee regularly wears unwashed and torn clothing to work, and often has a body odor, the employer should tell the employee that he or she needs to wear clean clothes and to make sure to shower before coming into the job.
- Set a timeline for when those goals should be achieved.
Example: Tell the employee that the next day the employee should arrive in clean clothing and that over the next two weeks, the employee should arrive to work freshly showered every day.
- Set consequences for not reaching those goals.
Example: Tell the employee that if the employee is unable to meet these goals, corrective action measures will be imposed, up to and including termination, if there is no progress.
Sometimes it is very difficult to correct hygiene issues overnight. It is best for employers to be realistic about what can be achieved and compliment the employee on progress. If there are factors outside of work that make it very difficult for the employee to practice good hygiene, the employer can speak to the employee about what changes can be made to make it easier for the employee to comply with this policy. Supervisors should also realize that employees may come from different backgrounds and cultures and should therefore, be sensitive to cultural differences when speaking with the employee.
Step 6: Follow Up With the Employee
Recognizing that the employee might be upset or embarrassed by the conversation addressing the hygiene issue, the supervisor should not press the issue. After getting the message across, the supervisor should end the conversation.
The supervisor should then follow up with the employee in a few days to check on whether the employee has taken steps towards improving the situation. Depending on what progress has been made over a two- to three-week period, the supervisor should either drop the issue or proceed with corrective action measures.
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