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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think that every office should have a standard when it comes to employee hygiene and appearance

22 replies

Hardhatonamission · 04/05/2011 20:05

I look around my office and do wonder who else would employ half these reprobates. We have the obligatory nose picker, a smelly one, someone who thinks it's ok to turn up dressed like a hooker, another in jeans...

AIBU (or old fashioned) to think that if you work in an office doing office based work you should dress accordingly, more to the point, contain your bad habits and noxious smells to your homes?

AIBU to think that if people cannot adhere to these basic standards employees should not be afraid to send them home?

OP posts:

HalfPastWine · 04/05/2011 20:08

YANBU

Sounds like my office. Supposed to be professional yet some of them look unwashed. I don't know how they get away with it when some of them have to meet clients.

animula · 04/05/2011 20:15

... and extend it to the tube.

there could be fashion police standing guard at the entrance:

"Sorry. You can't come in. Your skirt/shirt is heinous. And you, in the sandals and socks. Out."

And sniffer dogs, that sniff. Pointedly.

DilysPrice · 04/05/2011 20:18

YANBU except about the jeans - I get very annoyed about offices who are officially "smart casual/office casual/dress down" but have a no denim policy - as far as I'm concerned if I can't wear (respectable, clean) jeans then I might as well wear a suit.

FabbyChic · 04/05/2011 20:19

ha ha When I was an Office Manager I'd never have employed anybody that came to work in jeans.

There should be a dress code, even shop staff shouldn't wear jeans, jeans are too casual.

Maybe they should hand out toiletry packs so that those know what deodorant is!

Pancakeflipper · 04/05/2011 20:21

I would like a sniff-detector to be introduced in our office. Just to bleep at the colleague whose stained sweaty underarm patches stretch down to their mid-riff. And their cuffs have snot slime. Ah bless.

GooseberryFool · 04/05/2011 20:22

Office based and no interraction with the public? Then I think whatever people want to wear should be ok tbh - it is, or should be, all about getting the work done not about partaking in a beauty parade!

breatheslowly · 04/05/2011 20:23

Whilst I don't disagree, do you want to be the one having the "you smell" conversation? I just don't know if I could do it.

feggyart · 04/05/2011 20:24

I am ok with the clothes but their is no excuse to smell or to nose pick

And dont get me started on farters!

Honeybee79 · 04/05/2011 20:25

YANBU. And I agree about public transport.

I read in a reputable newspaper that 12% of the population of Britain do not bath/shower every day. 12%!!

MaisyMooCow · 04/05/2011 20:27

I work on a Reception and after a meeting finishes we have to open the door and wait at least 5 mins before we can go in and remove the coffee cups etc. The stench of fart and body odour is gross.

Lovecat · 04/05/2011 20:39

I feel about 100 as I'm typing these words, but some of the young girls (see? SEE???) in our office dress as though they fell out the disco and into work. It's actually quite astonishing, the skimpiness/tightness/glitteriness of what they wear - including some who really, really don't have the figure for it.... We're a 'business casual' designated department as we're not client-facing, but I think they're taking the p.

As for BO and coffee breath... ew!

Pancakeflipper · 04/05/2011 20:54

Honeybee - 12% not showering?

Blimey - what's the odds on those 12% all working in my office?

Cymar · 04/05/2011 22:18

I would guess that some of that 12% are folk who have conditions like eczema/psoriasis/dermatitis/very dry skin and cannot wash every day, but do so every other day?

I was told by a few dermatologists (my dad has spoken to at his appts) that washing every day strips the skin of it's natural oils and the more the average person washes, the more they dry out their skin so an overproduction of natural oils occurs which makes the person feel manky, they then wash even more and so more oils are produced. It's a vicious circle. They (dermatologists) said it was fine to wash every other day or wash every day with E45/Oilatum or other wash products which are made for dry skin. I've never met a person with the above skin conditions who could shower/bathe/wash every day without ending up with cracked and bleeding areas.

BurningBridges · 04/05/2011 22:30

Sounds like the teachers at our primary school ...

AuntieBranflake · 04/05/2011 22:36

My ex-partner worked in an office with a guy who would burp and fart LOUDLY in the office all day without batting an eyelid. One afternoon, he let out a loud yawn, followed by an 'excuse me...'

The guy I sit next to at work at the moment keeps me up-to-date about all the other male colleagues who don't wash their hands after using the loos.

LordOfTheFlies · 08/05/2011 16:29

DH and I work for NHS so dress code already in place-uniform-qiuite nice cos I don't have to think about it.Obviously strict about clean white tunics,trousers,suitable shoes,no watches,jewellry,hair tied back,no excessive make-up.What really made me laugh was no excessive Body Odour!!What's the level for allowable B.O. and who wants to check?

FluffyDonkey · 08/05/2011 16:36

I agree with being clean and unsmelly, but for clothes I'm not so sure.

I dress in office clothes during the week and occassionally I wear (smart) jeans on a Friday (if I don't have meetings).

One bloke once commented on it, but I told him that my IQ didn't diminish because I'm wearing jeans...I was annoyed because I worked bloody hard and he wore suits all week but did sod all work, arriving late and leaving early.

My pet hates are cofffee breath, stale cigarette smell and bad breath. Doubly so now I'm pregnant!!!! Sometimes I have to hold my breath when someone is talking to me so I don't throw up on them...

BogChicken · 08/05/2011 17:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

beaker25 · 08/05/2011 17:20

No dress code at all in my office. The only thing you'd never ever see anyone wearing is a suit, but it's a creative media type office so formal wear wouldn't really be appropriate. Everyone dresses really nicely though, even when wearing jeans, and no one smells. My work are really relaxed with things like that, and time keeping.. It's also the most hard working and productive place I've ever worked. If I went to a job where they were really strict about those sorts of things, I'd assume they couldn't trust their staff and it would put me off working there.

StuckinTheMiddlewithYou · 08/05/2011 17:28

There really is no excuse not to wear clean clothes or dress like you're going clubbing.

However, I would never object to or complain about BO or farting. Some people simply cannot help it. I'd actually class making a fuss about those things as bullying.

FudgeGirl · 08/05/2011 17:36

Ohhh god, there's someone in our office, smelly, sweaty (big underarm marks), nasty, flaky skin, dirty ears. I can't bear it. Admittedly they can't help the flaky skin but you can see it falling out of their ears in big orange globbits and yuk yuk yuk I can hardly bear it.

But I don't think I could ever bring myself to say anything for fear of upsetting, so I'm probably being unreasonable :(

MintyMoo · 08/05/2011 17:45

I have a medical condition which causes me to have very dry, flaky skin so I avoid washing every day and use gentle products like E45. I always wear deodorant though and keep myself fresh, luckily I don't really seem to sweat unless doing something vigorous or if I'm very hot. In hot weather I do wash daily in cool water as it's better for my poor bleeding skin. DP washes daily and his skin is fine, I do prefer him slightly unwashed though as I can actually smell him for a change, not eau de radox shower gel for men.

My medical condition also means I'm freezing cold, almost constantly (hence lack of sweat as well). In the winter I had to wrap up very warm in the office (not client or customer facing) and would wear several jumpers, 3 pairs of tights, socks, boots and a hoodie with a fake fur lining to keep warm. I remember a new member of management teasing me for looking like an 'Eskimo or a Penguin' and a subtle suggestion I should man up and remove my fingerless gloves and scarf (if my hands get very cold they seize up and won't move, hence I wouldn't be able to type, they also shake and twicth of their own accord if I'm not careful).

I smiled to myself comfortable in the knowledge loads of people had voted for her as the worst dressed person in the office (we were asked to vote on several awards for staff, some good ones, some jokey and some, IMO, downright harsh) as she came in every day looking like a prostitute. (I'm not joking, thigh high patent boots, tiny skirts, see through tops etc and this was winter!)

I think any comments should be left to management, sometimes people really can't help something and would be embarrassed. I was quite happy to respond to any comments on my wrapping up with 'I have a medical condition which means I can't regulate my body temperature, it's imperative I stay warm else my body seizes up and I won't be able to do my job if that happens' but I can imagine a lot of people aren't as bolshy as I am and wouldn't want to say that (and also shouldn't have to say that)

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