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The Kitchen Table

Co-workers

11 years ago

I'm curious as to what, if anything, you'd do in the following co-worker situations.

1. A co-worker with body odor issues. The young woman's odor isn't bad from a distance, but if you are downwind (literally) or sitting next to her, it is noticeable.

2. A co-worker that cooks fish in the small, staff lounge area. She's a gem too, complaining, when someone opens the doors to air the room out, that she can no longer have a private conversation since the doors are open.

3. A co-worker that only talks to you to be a jerk and put you down, even if your conversation has nothing to do with him. I dealt with this one, but I am curious what you all would say.

4. A co-worker that takes community property but does not return it and takes materials from your work space that you have prepared.

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Comments (7)

PKponder TX Z7B
11 years ago
ugh, I am struggling this week with co-worker blues too.
BO is such a delicate subject, lack of shower or maybe an illness?
No fish in the dang break room, it stinks!
Try your best to ignore the jerk, who knows what his agenda is.
I think you need to involve management on the removal of intellectual property.
Elmer J Fudd
11 years ago
Talk to your supervisor. Each of these issues is more properly dealt with by him or her rather than by you. If you want to choose one to leave out to limit the list to 3 items, leave out #3.
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Alice_sj
Original Author
11 years ago
PKPonder, if you want to vent on this thread, please feel free.

2 & 4 irk me the most because 1 is a nice person, I just feel bad that she must no know, and I already spoke to 3. He's known to be a jerk, and I think knowing I am both nice, liked, and not afraid to speak plainly and directly to him will have him leaving me alone. If not, next time, I'll be sure to make it clear that I was neither talking to him nor care about his opinion.

I'm really just curious how others would or wouldn't hand the situation. BTW, we don't really have a supervisor, per se, and unless things are really bad, we deal with them on our own.
Lindsey_CA
11 years ago
When I was still working (I retired at the end of last year), we had the fish-in-the-breakroom-microwave issue. The big boss put out a message that fish was NOT to be cooked or reheated. Took care of the problem for a couple years, then some new staff who were fish lovers started it up again and the boss had to put out the memo again.

At the first agency where I worked (for the state), there was an employee that several other coworkers continually complained about. Not that he smelled of sweat or bad breath, but they claimed that (how do I put this delicately?) it was like no one ever taught him how to use toilet paper. We had to work in (rotating) teams of two, so smells were definitely an issue. The supervisor, then Human Resources, had several chats with him. I honestly never smelled anything on the guy, so I took extra shifts with him.
graphics_gal
11 years ago
Another very annoying trait of a co-worker...THE KNOW-IT-ALL!! A co-worker of mine knows everything, he is extremely condescending to everyone in the office and lets a person know that HE is the reason the business is booming. Ugghhhh. Just 6 months till retirement!
ellendi
11 years ago
I agree about HR, but until then, whenever the BO coworker came near me, I would politely excuse myself, and head to the water cooler, break room or rest room.
I would limit contact with the said jerk. Short and sweet.

Someone taking community property or your work is the most serious. I would take to the supervisor about that one.
Alice_sj
Original Author
11 years ago
Interesting. Thank you all for your thoughts. Talked to a mentor today, and she told me I was doing the right things and being professional with how I have handled the situations. She honestly thinks I should speak up to others more on other issues, not that I spoke up on all of these.

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