I'm looking for a bit of advice with an issue at work, there's a colleague who seems to have adopted cigarettes as their personal air freshener. They're probably going for a smoke 5 times a day and you can smell them from 10m away. What's the best course of action?
What to Do about a Smelly Person at Work?
ginormousgiraffe on 07/04/2024 - 11:10
Poll Options
- 31Suck in the smoke
- 57Chat to them kindly
- 8Chat to them angrily
- 249Report them
- 22Drop hints subtly around the office
Comments
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I understood that reference lol
Lynx Africa x Winnie Blues
Just doesn’t hit like the Winnie reds
Peter Jackson 15s for the win !!!
My FIL is still rocking this combo
Is this person from i_nd_an sub continent area?
That makes scents, cheers.
Assuming they are older than 9 or 10, otherwise it would be inappropriate.
Hoping for non-scents. Cheers.
Muzeeb
OP needs an air freshener mate.
Ahaha f*** sake, I come to these threads for the comments and I never leave disappointed!
What is this in reference to
If only
Work from home.
Narrator: Plot twist, O.P. is WFH.
I do as much as possible
Not everyone works in an office
Not everyone has this problem in an office.
This is the easiest way to get reprimanded at work if you confront them yourself.
Just report it to their higher up.
Any normal workplace would have policies relating to hygiene and personal grooming etc.
Just
reportwaft it to their higher up.FTFY
Why would you get reprimanded for having a conversation with someone like an adult? I think going straight to their manager about a smell that's bothering you is unprofessional, personally, but I guess that depends on the workplace and the conversations that are had.
Firstly I'd see if it was just me with an issue, because if so then it's just my problem. If others are having an issue, then I'd approach the colleague, and say"Hey, I'm sorry this is a bit awkward, but I know I would appreciate someone telling me: but the cigarettes you smoke have been leaving a seriously strong odour on you, I can smell you from 10m away. I'm only letting you know because it's honestly uncomfortably strong, and yeah, I'd want to know if it was me."
They might be smoking in their car, or not washing their clothes or hair enough. Hopefully they come up with solutions though: I can't think of a way to make suggestions without sounding rude.
I'm thinking of a small fan to blow against the direction of where the smell comes from.
In winter he/her will report you as causing unnecessary extra cold breeze
small 'heated' fan
You can just mention that they don't seem bothered by the cold when they have their multiple smoke breaks.
bikies
What to Do about a Smelly Person at Train?
What to Do about a Smelly Person at Work?
Become more smelly than him/her so i will.not smell his/her smell
isnt there a cheap perfume on amazon you can buy them?
Buy KFC to overlap the smell with a better one
Or durian?
I don't think that's a better smell
Now that makes scents. Cheers.
I used KFC to mask the smell of a prostitute in my car after Mrs Muzeeb found an unexplainable lip balm in my centre console.
Ozbargain is full of life pro tips. Not just the occasional bargain.
You could also use KFC's lemon scented wet wipes to clean up any biological evidence that may be in the car
Would need about a 1000 kfc wipes to clean the mess 🤣
KFC scent was able to mask a physical object? Amazing.
As opposed to the guys with Lynx? I suspected you just aren’t keen on women. I’m sure they return the favour.
Too much perfume or Lynx. They are as bad as each other.
You mean it doesnt attract women like the ads??
Add some vanilla. Bam Tom ford tobacco vanille
If they vaped instead they would probably smell okay. If they are that addicted to cigarettes then vaping might be good for them instead of lung cancer, empty wallet, and smoke smell.
Vaping can give the same effects they just smell better.
I thought the main issue with vaping was that people were doing it 100 times a day instead of 3-10 like a cigarette smoker?
Still dragging stuff into your lungs and a lot of them have nicotine as well.
@try2bhelpful: You're dragging air into your lungs right now and if you go outside near a road, you're dragging exhaust fumes in there too.
Vaping isn't risk free, but it's orders of magnitudes less damaging than smoking. It's like comparing sanding back a flooring to an asbestos fence.
I buy liquid from Australian and NZ sellers so hopefully they are aware of the dangerous ingredients and avoid them.
hopefully…………….
Unbloodylikely.
Cannot tell if serious or sarcastic, need to use the /s
I know someone who commercially imports vapes and consumables onto Canada (similar levels of regulation as to Oz). She doesn't have the slightest clue what's in the liquid- she's trained as an interior designer.
That article is highly misleading, possibly due to the biases of the writer or maybe they just didn't properly investigate the studies they relied on. For instance, they list one substance "commonly found in vapes" to be formaldehyde, whereas studies show you would only be inhaling this is you inhale from a vape which doesn't have any liquid in it, which is highly improbable given it would be incredibly hot and taste foul. Even then, it contains less formaldehyde than a cigarette.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278691517305033#:~:text=Formaldehyde%20is%20produced%20by%20thermal%20degradation%20in%20e%2Dcigarettes.&text=Dry%20puffs%20result%20from%20overheating,unpleasant%20taste%20that%20users%20avoid.&text=In%20realistic%20conditions%2C%20formaldehyde%20in,is%20lower%20than%20cigarette%20smoke.&text=High%20levels%20of%20formaldehyde%20are,unrealistic%20(dry%20puff)%20conditions.
vaping might be good for them
nicotine reduces risk of parkinson's
it's also a nootropic so chances are they're a more efficient employee than OP, even with half a dozen daily smoke breaks
Hmm…Should I start chewing Nicorette gum?
I hear your pain. I grew up in an era where both my parents smoked, including in the car. Cigarettes were allowed in the workplace, restaurants and public transport. All you can do is chat to your boss but there isn’t much they can do. Maybe a quiet word to the colleague on the strong the cigarette smell when they get close to you. Just a step back and “sorry the cigarette smell is a tad strong” in a quiet manner. Cigarette smokers don’t know how bad it is because their sense of smell has shut down.
Who knows they might take up vaping. It will still destroy their lungs but they will smell a tad better.
Put a small firecracker in his cigarette.
A horse hair is more traditional.
get an essential oil infuser or an air purifier
Ciggies aren't cheap these days, and he must be on a pretty good wicket to afford such luxuries 5 times a day during work hours.
I have it on good authority that he is not smoking an entire pack each time he goes out.
Sure it adds up but $10-20 a day not much different to coffee drinkers.
Nah, I'm a tight ass. I drink instant coffee.
Who blows $10-20 a day on coffee?
Lots of people in my office. Only takes buying a two coffees or a coffee and a muffin.
Oh come on..noone pays full price for smokes these days. Do they? The alternatives are literally everywhere. I pay $15 a box of 20.
Those random cigs from Indonesia?
Thats not really what it is like in 2024. My local has 20 different ones to choose from and most of them are not unlike the stupid priced ones
Almost everyone these days seems to be smoking either chop chop or under the counter cigs
That's surprising that it can be so widespread, bit I guess the legit cost is pushing that.
Thanks tobacco war!
Rearrange the office and put their desk far away from everyone.
It's hotdesking but I have moved away in the past, but they always come in and hour or so after me so it's a bit wierd to move by that stage
Maybe if you move they'll get the hint.
And then do what? They will magically quit smoking? Never going to happen.
Who cares if it's weird?
Take up smoking and you probably won’t notice it anymore.
Most constructive 😂😂
What to Do about a Smelly Person at Work?
What are you feeding him?
It's not their fault.It took a minute to place…. well done
"you can smell them from 10m away"
Keep 11m away. Helps around minding your own business too.
Helps around minding your own business too
People that think this is advise should be quiet.
I have anosmia. If anyone tells me I stink, I just reply "I can't smell".
Now tell us your location so people can come and blow secondhand smoke all over you, and you can be thankful about it.
Contact HR. If you don't have one, then you discuss with your manager.
Did you post this question OP because you're not the type of person to deal with confrontation?
New to the company so don't want to ruffle any feathers yet.
As a ginormous giraffe maybe try not stepping on toes either.
Thats fair. I understand your predicament now, especially when you domt know the social order yet. HR good be best buds with the cancer smelling dude for all you know.
Maybe suck it up a bit for now and let things play out. It doest make for a healthy work environment tho.
Sing when you are around him: Smelly cat, smelly cat…
Let their line manager know. These awkward conversations are a part of the gig sometimes!
The most fun one I have had was a staff member hacking up and swallowing gollies all day grossing out a team mate.
Listen Jenkins, Smith says that you smell worse than a chimney sweep.
Is that right sir, a chimney sweep you say.
Yes, that's so old chap. Be a good fellow and cut it out.
And the black tar heroin?
Smith didn't mention that, so carry on.
I've seen similar, except then spitting it into tissues and putting it in the desk bins.
I had the worst situation.
I sat between 2 massive stinkers.
One was god awful BO, the other loved to take her shoes off.
It was so bad that I couldn't ignore it.
Thankfully at that time someone here published a hack to get Air Wick candles for free from Woolworths.
So I went a got a few and placed them on the floor under my desk and a couple on either side of my desk, not lit of course.
It helped mask the smell and hopefully sent a message.
What we once did at my past workplace was wait till it's Xmas and get them a whole cardboard box of deodorant as a Kris Kringle present
Keep the cardboard box (adds to the effect) , wrap it up in your Xmas wrapping paper
Get into the office early and leave it on their desk.
When they open it up they will see
12 x cans in thereJust get the cheap kmart ones (but keep the cardboard box)
Picture:
https://www.google.com/search?q=box+of+deodorant+men&client=…If they don't get it even after that, then they are super thick skinned. The person at our office still didn't get it but good luck to you sir!
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Just get a public school teacher to tell them to wear roll on deodorant.