Maquinna's Poop du Jour

Peee-ewwwww!

I take back everything I said about yesterday's committee meeting. I'd take that meeting ten times over before the one I'm going to have to do very soon.

We have a new co-worker who, it turns out, has a very objectionable body odour. It's not just once in awhile - it's everyday. From her appearance, I would also say that she doesn't bathe/shower regularly. Frequently her hair appears very unwashed. It didn't really seem like a problem during her interview, but here we are now and man alive, does she smell.

She's young, and not far out of college, and this is her first professional job. She's good at what she does, and she has a pleasant personality. I don't want to devastate her, and that's exactly what I'm afraid I'm going to do. I know how I'd feel if someone told me that basically, I smell bad. And yet, if I did (on a regular basis mind you, and not just after helping someone move into a third floor walk-up with no elevator in the middle of August)...I sure hope someone *would* tell me. Someone who I know was just trying to be helpful.

And that's where I come in. My director and I took a walk at lunch to discuss a few things, and this issue came up. I guess I'm not the only one who's noticed this problem (and frankly, I don't know how anyone could miss it). He was thinking he'd have to be the one to talk with her about it, and was looking for my thoughts on how to handle it. I told him I'd been thinking about it for awhile, and realized that if anyone was going to do this, it really should be me. She's already expressed some interest in my own personal sense of style - however misguided that is. This is going to be easier woman to woman, and less scary than coming from our director.

So now I'm about to figure out how to have the most difficult conversation ever with a co-worker. Any advice out there?

posted by Maquinna @ 12:53 p.m.