A woman has sparked debate by asking whether it would be unreasonable to talk to HR about her stuffy colleague.
The anonymous user went to the British forum Mothernet to share her experience with the smelly colleague.
She wrote, “Long story short, I have a coworker who has been with us for years but has a horrible smell.
‘Unfortunately, her body odor is overpowering and it makes me very nauseous. I am very sensitive to bad odors and I smell the bad odor because she sat right next to me.
‘She’s morbidly obese. We have some larger colleagues working for us, but they never have an odor.’
The anonymous woman said she finds it difficult to get through the day and that she really struggles with not telling HR about the problem (stock image)
The user added that she “really struggles” to get through her workday without alerting HR to the problem, adding that she cannot move desks.
The woman then asked if it was unreasonable to complain to HR and tell them about the matter.
Mumsnetters took to the thread to give their advice, with some speaking up for the woman and encouraging her to raise the alarm.
One user wrote: ‘No, me and a coworker did this about another coworker several years ago.
‘Our manager had a chat with him and he was very upset, but it was terrible sitting next to him. To be honest he came in the next week clean shaven and washed and we never had that problem again!’
Another said: ‘The first stage is of course to talk to the people manager, but if you’ve done that and nothing has changed, talk to HR, it’s not unreasonable.
“Regardless of a person’s size, they can (assuming there is no major health problem) shower and wash clothes.
‘It’s terrible for people to have to sit next to such a smell all day long. So no, not unreasonable at all.’
A third wrote: ‘I couldn’t sit there. I’m terrible with smells and actually gag when I smell something like you describe.
‘That sounds mean. I think you should go to HR. Surprised she can’t smell herself.’
The anonymous user took to the British forum Mumsnet to share her experiences with the smelly colleague
The thread’s original poster also added that she personally showers twice a day and uses “extra strength” deodorants
A fourth said: ‘If it’s that bad I think you should talk to them. You spend a large part of the time working every day. You don’t have to deal with that day in and day out.
‘No matter the size of a person, if he pays attention to his personal hygiene, he shouldn’t smell like that. I can completely understand the impact this would have on you.”
The thread’s original poster also added that she personally showers twice a day and uses “extra strength” deodorants.
But others questioned the woman, asking why she brought up her weight as an issue.
Mumsnetters took to giving their advice, with some standing up for the woman and encouraging her to raise the alarm
One user wrote: ‘This is a disgusting thread. Weight is not relevant in terms of hygiene. Anyone can smell or not pay close attention to their hygiene.
‘Anyone can sweat, and just because someone is fat doesn’t mean he or she has a problem with body odor.
‘I’m fat and I don’t really sweat much. Never get damp armpits, but of course shower, use good deodorant, etc., wear clean clothes every day, etc. etc. Never had any problems with hygiene.
‘An obese person has more skin folds, but we know how to wash and care for ourselves.
‘Even if it is more difficult to reach certain places, we find ways! Fat people care about their hygiene as much as anyone else.
“Some of the posts here are just disgusting fat bashing, and quite frankly very offensive. Some of you can’t wait to curse out fat people, you love it. I hope this makes you feel better about yourself.
‘Anyone can be negligent when it comes to hygiene. I’ve also worked with some stinkers, the worst of which was a guy who would cycle to work and then sit in his sweaty clothes all day.”
Another Mumsnet user questioned the woman, asking why she brought up her weight as an issue
Another wrote: ‘Do you have two showers a day every day? Do you realize that using extra strong scented products affects your sense of smell?
‘You expect others to raise an issue, but that didn’t happen. You literally hope that HR is clairvoyant. Only you have this problem with your colleague. You will have to bring it up or deal with it.
‘You mention weight and then say it’s not relevant, so why mention it? I don’t think you’ve thought the matter through. Is this a very recent event?’
A third said: ‘It doesn’t sound pleasant, I’ll give you that. However, it is absolutely unreasonable to mention her weight, implying that the problem may stem from that.
‘You continue to ignore the commentators who have also pointed this out. If you shower twice a day and use strong deodorants (which sounds excessive), are you sure you’re not trying to hide anything?’
A fourth commented: ‘Wait a minute. If this colleague ‘places’ next to you, it means that people can choose where they sit in your office. Why don’t you just make the same choice for yourself?’