Poor hygiene at work negatively affects an employee’s career growth inside the company.
It affects his ability to create strong relationships at work that might support him as a professional and valuable employee.
Without friends and growth at work, it is hard to have good self-esteem.
And this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Here’re other aspects that are hurt by poor personal hygiene at work.
1. It affects your professional image
You may be the smartest employee but showing up at work unkempt won’t improve your worthiness as an employee.
Poor physical appearance affects your efforts of being perceived as a professional.
You know why?
In the vision of your coworkers and your boss, a professional employee is able to take care of his health and physical appearance. While an employee with poor workplace hygiene sends a message to his colleagues that he is not able to take care of himself.
2. It affects your personality
If you think that nobody cares about you skipping on showering or hand washing from time to time.
You’re wrong.
Your office coworkers pay attention to your hygiene issues and, based on these notices, they build their negative perception about you.
Who wants an employee with low morale and low self-esteem in the workplace?
3. It affects your coworker's health
A workplace office is shared by multiple employees where everybody cares for their health and safety.
Good personal hygiene of each employee is critical in maintaining a comfortable working environment in the office for everybody.
Being an employee with poor personal hygiene, your colleagues may perceive you as a source of disease transmission, which makes them want to avoid you at work.
In this way, your coworkers are trying to protect themselves from being contaminated with a virus or an infection.
4. It affects your cooperation with the team
Some manifestations of poor personal hygiene are not tolerated at work.
For example, releasing unpleasant body odors, having poor preventive habits or bad breath makes your interaction with the team difficult. Your coworkers will try to avoid you simply because they don’t feel comfortable being around you.
5. It makes you the protagonist of unpleasant stories
Poor personal hygiene is a sensitive topic and usually is not discussed publicly at the toolbox discussions.
But, if your coworkers have noticed that you smell bad today, they may not tell you about that but they may discuss this with other employees.
And they have the right to do so because, by having poor hygiene at work, you give them the reason to discuss your hygiene issues behind your back.
6. Your poor personal hygiene affects the company’s image
If your boss is a smart guy, then he is aware of the fact that poor hygiene in the office and of its employees hurts the company's image, which may result in a business loss as well.
Employee's good personal hygiene is crucial at leaving a good impression on office visitors and clients, partners, investors of the company.
Considering this, an employee’s poor personal hygiene hurts the company’s image. Especially, if the employee works one on one with the clients because this may turn clients off and hurt their experience with the company.
Conclusion
The negative effects of poor personal hygiene in the workplace are obstacles in your career.
If you wish to be appreciated for your smart insights make sure you remove these obstacles between you and your team.
