Have you ever smelled an offensive odor at work?
Most employees consider a workplace to be odorless, which means that outside odors aren’t tolerated in the office. Especially, repulsive odors due to personal hygiene at work or food odors.
Find below a list of offensive odors that employees should make sure to prevent.
Why odors are offensive in the workplace?
Odors are disturbing and unpleasant.
When an employee brings into the office outside odors this becomes a matter for new complaints in the office. And the manager doesn’t like to deal with hygiene issues at work.
Types of offensive odors in the workplace
1. Bad breath
Bad breath is one of the biggest turn-offs at work.
To maintain an efficient workflow, employees have to communicate often. Exchanging information and brainstorming ideas facilitate the efficiency and creativity of the employees.
On the other side, a coworker’s bad breath may hinder the communication inside the team.
Some coworkers may feel embarrassed and others may even reduce the communication with the offender in the office.
2. Bad Body Odor
The next embarrassing odor in the office is body odor.
It tells coworkers that this employee who has body odor is not used to take showers or wears unwashed smelly clothes.
Office employees dislike this kind of behavior and try to avoid smelly coworker.
3. Stinky feet
If the company’s dress code policy allows getting comfortable by taking the shoes off unless feet don’t smell.
“Smelly feet” is the next embarrassing odor in the workplace.
The worst is when shoes are smelly too. The combined odor from smelly feet and not aired shoes makes even the most tolerant employee cry like a baby.
4. Fart
Due to anatomical reasons, it’s hard to stop your internal gases when they come out.
Employees are expected to stand up from their desks and release their gases outside the office.
This is much more ethical rather than quietly farting and act as this is not you who ruined the fresh air.
5. Smelly food
Next on the list is food odor.
Have you ever had the experience when everybody turns their heads around looking for the employee who has just warmed in the microwave fish and garlic?
Though it may smell tasty it is not the right kind of smell that should persist in a professional working environment.
6. Strong fragrance and scent
Using too much perfume is also not tolerated in a working office.
The employee might think that the more fragrance he put on is better but it’s not.
The reality is that the strong scents may offend employees who suffer from asthma or allergies.
Conclusion
Be aware that you are not alone in the office and respect your coworker’s right of working in a comfortable environment. Avoid bringing in offensive odors in the workplace.
In this way, your team will appreciate your professional attitude so that they don't need to have that unpleasant conversation with you.
