Summer—a time for beach trips, cookouts, and … uncomfortable talks about body odor. With the temperatures heating up, you may hear your employees complain about a coworker’s unpleasant smells. Of course, no one appreciates being told they stink, so when you address these concerns (and you should address them), keep these tips in mind to avoid embarrassment or, worse, accusations of discrimination.
Identify the issue: Avoid relying on gossip from other employees. A manager should have firsthand knowledge of the situation to better speak to the concern. Verifying these complaints also helps ensure the reports are legit and not mean or petty comments from coworkers.
Decide who should have the talk: Discussions regarding employee hygiene should not be left to peer-to-peer conversations. Instead, decide between the employee’s manager, someone from your HR department, or another management-level individual to broach the topic. Having the employee speak with someone that they are most comfortable with can alleviate some of the discomfort that comes with telling an employee their personal hygiene needs to improve.
Discuss in private: Speaking with an employee about sensitive topics like body odor is awkward enough. Make sure to speak with the employee in private, so a difficult situation is not made more embarrassing by having others within earshot.
Be sensitive to possible medical conditions and cultural norms: Sometimes, a medical condition or cultural norm can contribute to perceived offensive odors. Certain medications or symptoms of a disability can cause foul odors, so we should ensure the employee is given an opportunity to talk about reasonable accommodation. Differences in culture, whether related to the types of food a person eats or what personal hygiene products are traditionally used or not used, should also be considered when discussing concerns. Additionally, if hygiene concerns are a new development with a particular employee, there could be other personal challenges at play, such as homelessness.
Be direct but considerate: You should approach the situation with the goal of finding a solution and use factual language. One way to begin the conversation would be, “thank you for meeting with me. I wanted to discuss something that was brought to my attention. It’s a bit awkward, but I’ve noticed lately you have had a noticeable odor. Sometimes people don’t realize this about themselves, so I wanted to discuss how we could improve this area.” You should also have the conversation towards the end of the day, so an employee does not have to go through their entire shift self-conscious and possibly distracted.
Identify solutions: Give the employee the opportunity to respond. If their hygiene issues are related to something like a disability, engage in the interactive process. Work with the employee to determine reasonable solutions. Don’t forget to document the conversation with what the plan of action consists of, and set a timeline for resolution.