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Loading ...How can I tell a coworker he smells bad without hurting his feelings?
He smells of onion and garlic ar 9.00 AM! He greets me with 2 kisses, like the rest (usual procedure here). The smell is so strong it makes me feel sick, like I want to puke. The worse part is, the smell seems to stick to me, I can feel it in my skin a half hour later! Why do I have the trouble to shower in the morning and apply expensive perfume, if I’m going to smell like onion and garlic ??? Problem is, he’s not a bad person, I’ve known him all my life, I don’t want to hurt him (he’s very sensitive to critique)…
The way of greeting people with 2 kisses seems to have confused some of you. Let me explain, it’s nothing sexual, here in Portugal and most of Europe it’s very common to greet people, men or women, with a kiss on each cheek (actually, the kiss goes into the air, the cheeks just touch. Lips don’t touch cheek.) We only shake hands on very formal occasions, or with strangers. The other times it’s one kiss on each cheek (or rather, a person’s cheek touches the other person’s cheek and the lips send a kiss to the air).
I’m speaking from a woman’s perspective. Informally, a woman does that to either men and women. A man does that to women, and shakes hands with men. Formally, both men and women shake hands to both genders. Of course a small office like mine, where everybody knows everybody else for 20+ years, is informal. In large offices most people just say “hi” or “good morning”.
Good advice, but I can’t make up my mind. For the moment I’m avoiding him, until he asks me what’s wrong. Your answers are so good, I can’t choose one. I’m putting it to vote!
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Tags: 13 Responses to “How can I tell a coworker he smells bad without hurting his feelings?”
FInd someone not as nice as you and get them to say something to him.
I’ve done that before. But don’t tell anybody.
Worked out great. Some people are just good at that kind of thing.
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ask him if he wants a piece of minty gum. Dont make it as if you are only asking him. Offer it to everyone so he doent feel awkward
Experience
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Hey tell them you care to share and all you want to do is help. If not but them a basket with soap and leave them a note to please take a shower
Experience
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You can send him an email from an anoymous email account, telling him that.
OR. You can just do like that:
He: Kissing you.
You: Oh, by the way, I’ve been reading yesteday about how onion and garlic are nutrious, but have some “side effects”.
He: Such what?
You: Their smell is very strong, that they stay the whole day, if you have them at the breakfast, and some people do not like their smell.
c?
My mind
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If he is that sensitive, you CANNOT help but hurt his feelings if you use the direct approach. You didn’t say whether this problem was caused by food he ate, or by some medical problem.
My mind
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tell him in a type of joke, do some expressions, that he also realise that what you are thinking about him when he kiss you.
My mind
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first of all, there is no wy of telling him without hurting his feeling – maybe give him some gum as a clue.
the seconf thing – i hate to be the one that tells you this but you work in a very sexual tensed place.
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tell him a story about someone of the same situation as his when you have time to tell him so in that way you are doing a segway. or you can tell him in a nice way directly
My mind
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I never heard of this “greets me with 2 kisses”
Nothing can be more frustrating than what is referred to as an incongruent communication, where an individual says one thing yet indicates something dramatically different with his or her nonverbal conduct. Strive to express your feelings in a mature and responsible way. By being honest about your emotions, you base your relationship upon integrity rather than lies and deception.
I would kinda make a joke out of it to him like wow you must have gotten a nice breakfest…. what was it you know count drackala would be scared of you ,,, you should brush your breath..
or hand him a tooth brush?
http://www.drphil.com/articles/article/81
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the golden rule will probably work fine here.
if it was you, wouldnt you want to be told as quickly as possible? how would YOU want to be approached if YOU had the problem? quick direct and straight to the point.
“dude, im not trying to be mean but…”
opinion
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Say, “Good breakfast? I can smell it. Don’t you hate how hard it is to get that taste out of your mouth?” then tell him about pills he can take to neutralize it.
If that doesn’t work, eat some onion and garlic one morning and stand real close to him so he can smell your breath.
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It’s hopeless…HELLOOOO onions and garlic for breakfast! And think of all the money you’ll save by not using any more perfume or hot water in the shower…
opinion
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