Weddingbee boards

we had a girl like this where i worked, and my manager just got out the handbook where it clearly stated that you must show up to work clean and presentable (which she was not) and he sent her home that shift and told her to fix it. well she didnt fix a thing and came back in for her next shift and got fired. she had her warning... i really dont think there is any nice way to tell her to clean up, but it has to be done, that is totally unsanitary and probably not healthy for your or your other co workers (esp if cat pee or god knows what else is involved)

I had to deal with a similiar problem just a few months ago. As a supervisor, I had to talk to a woman in our office about body odor. I didn't want to do it, but I had too many employees complaining and not wanting to work with her. It was not an easy conversation, but it was my responsibility.

Your supervisor needs to talk to her privately. She needs to explain that her hygiene is not acceptable, that there have been complaints, and that customers have made comments.

You didn't say the customers have made comments, but I'm sure they have, and if they haven't then they just are planning to never return to the salon. If her co-workers don't want to stand next to her, imagine how the customers feel having her doing their hair!

She needs to bring it to her attention from a purely business stand point, because she will lose business if she is allowed to continue coming to work smelling bad.

If I was the supervisor, I would take her aside, and simply say, "We have an issue with your hygiene. I don't know what your home situation is, but we need you to present yourself professionally. We've had complaints about body odor, and that simply is not acceptable from a business standpoint."  Then I would give her the opportunity to explain her situation if she wanted to share it with me. But I would make it clear than she would not be scheduled to work until the situation was rectified.

It will not be a fun conversation for your supervisor to have, because there is no nice way to tell someone they smell bad, but it is HER responsibility to talk to your co-worker.

I know this is unbearable for all of you and I value hygeine and cleanliness, but could she have a certain disorder that doesn't metabolize a certain chemical (I forget its name).  It causes very foul body odor that is impossible to cover up.  I'd ask a supervisor to speak with her, and she says she has this disorder, then well, you have to accept it and move on.

Also, she could be depressed or distressed with her life?  I try to cut people slack but really, if the supervisor isn't willing to do anything, maybe privately and gently remind her that in this business, appearance/attire/hygiene is extremely important and it could deter customers if she doesn't improve.

@julies1949: exactly - that's what supervision is, it's their JOB to take care of personnel management issues! if she's refusing to address the situation, i'd just go one level higher.

@beekiss2:  It really doesn't have to just be accepted. These situations can be treated by a physician. Also, if there is health problem, at the very least she should do what she can to minimize the odor by wearing clothes that are clean and fresh and showering and washing her hair before coming to work.

If it is a health condition which cannot be resolved, then the supervisor really has to consider how it will affect business. She is working at a beauty salon and working with customers, and if this woman's body odor causes the salon to lose business, the supervisor will have to let her go, because she cannot do the job she was hired to do. She may have the talent and ability, but she has to be able to retain and bring in customers, not drive them away.

@julies1949:  Well, I'm certainly not getting paid the big bucks, but it was still my job!!! haha!

@elliestan: Exactly!  Go up the chain of command.

@Loribeth:  If she has a legitimate condition (which it doesn't sound like) but if she did, and she was doing all she could to keep it under control, then being fired could potentially open that business up to a lawsuit.  That's all I was saying.

@beekiss2:  Not necessarily.  The person cannot be a business liability regardless of the condition.  If her odor is causing the business to lose clients, then she cannot do her job because no one will want her to do their hair.  The company could use the argument that she is not able to perform to the same level of customer satisfaction as the other stylists, that customers have said they do not want her to style their hair again, and have refused service is she is the only stylist available. This would be detrimental to the business, and they would be within their legal rights to discharge her regardless of her health condition.

According to the ADA, an accomodation cannot cause undue hardship on the company. If it does, then the company can release the employee without cause.

@daydreamwanderer: I agree with you. You should suggest to your supervisor that you have a staff meeting, and go over required protocol for work attire and cleanliness. Your supervisor should say clients have mentioned it, and the next time it becomes a noticeable issue, that person will be pulled aside individually and reprimanded. That way, there is no way she can be offended or surprised if it does happen, and hopefully the whole awkward exchange can be avoided by acting as if it is a company issue. But honestly, your supervisor should want to be handling this right away. If I went to a salon and got my hair cut even NEXT to someone that was clearly not clean, I would complain and be grossed out. I feel kind of bad for her, but in the end its a matter of professionalism. If she was an hour late every day it would addressed - its the same thing.