Friday, June 27, 2014

Stinky Feet

      What should a supervisor do if an employee's personal hygiene is so bad that other employees are complaining? How does a supervisor handle the situation without insulting the employee?
     Since the employees are complaining, this situation is probably affecting work productivity.  Therefore, the supervisor is duty bound to deal with it.  Sometimes a medical condition can cause an unpleasant body odor.  According to the Huffington Post, there are 7 surprising body odor causes:  stinky feet, too much broccoli, stress, dirty bras, a rare genetic disorder, drinking too much alcohol, and diabetes.  The supervisor should first have a serious discussion with the employee to determine whether a medical condition is the cause.  Always start the discussion by highlighting the negative impact the body odor is having on productivity.  If a medical condition is not the cause, then try to get the employee to identify the problem and the solution.  "Pride of ownership" means that employees are more likely to correct problems if they own the solutions.  If the employee fails to identify a solution, the supervisor should offer some alternatives.  If the employee fails to cooperate with this approach, the supervisor would have no choice but to pursue progressive discipline.

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