We all know it wasn’t the cat’s fault but have you ever had someone in your office who had a hygiene issue, poor choice in clothing or an odor about them?
These sensitive situations are difficult for people to handle and addressing them can be stressful. Especially, if it’s your first time. If you find yourself in a similar situation with an employee, it’s important to handle the issue directly but compassionately.
When it comes to hygiene, odor and appearance, it’s important that you are cautious when addressing these issues. You don’t know what someone’s background is or why they have the hygiene related issue. Do they have a medical condition or perhaps a religious belief that directly or indirectly impacts their hygiene? Talking through these issues with the individual can be nerve wrecking for both the employee sharing the feedback and for you. A good place to start, is to just be honest, let them know that you have noticed the odor, appearance, etc. and then guide the conversation towards finding out why this has become an issue. Once you have the facts and understand the drivers behind the hygiene issue, you will be able to give the individual ideas on what they can do to address the situation. It is important that the individual understand that the appearance, odor etc. can be very distracting and could make others feel uncomfortable and that is the reason for the conversation. You want to resolve the situation, so it does not become a major issue to them or their co-workers.
If the employee does disclose a medical issue be sure to start the interactive process as required by ADA regulations and keep in mind even if an employee doesn’t specifically ask for an accommodation, you may still be required to provide one if their condition becomes apparent.
It is very important to offer support and guidance to this employee, if you feel they are in need of advice or assistance make sure they know they have your support. Remember, you started the conversation to help them with their appearance or hygiene issue. It may be as simple as showering or washing their clothes more often, using or changing deodorant. Stress may be another contributing factor to their body odor. When you are having the conversation with the individual, really listen to what they are sharing. Help them and make them feel comfortable with the conversation, so they can prevent these situations from happening in the future. For friendly help with these types of situations or any other type of difficult issues, please feel free to call us at 913.940.5391 or email us at
info@hr-haven.com. We’ll help you through it all.