Colleague's hygiene

[Clairesafatgirlsname]

I started a new job about a month ago, another woman (she's 20) started about a week after me. The job is retail, so lots of pulling cages around And shifting boxes, I've learned it's pretty heavy work, so keep deodorant in my bag for whenever I need it. The newer woman is lovely, but smells awful. It isn't bo, it smells a bit like old poo. Our supervisor is rubbish and not approachable, we're in the process of getting a new manager, but he's largely elsewhere. Not sure if I should talk to her directly (really don't want to) or go through our crappy management system. Btw we work in a Naafi so always the same customers, which is why I'm posting as I heard some lads mention a smell earlier. Would appreciate any advice, cheers.

Have a word with your manager in the first instance. It's up to them to deal with it. As PP's have mentioned, there may be a medical condition that you're unaware of.

Give your manager a chance to sort it out first before you resort to having a word with her yourself, and please please refrain from taking the most ridiculous advice on this thread and sending her an anonymous letter??!

Sometimes you can't help it you know and its not a case of not washing enough,
I really suffer when I'm having my periods sorry if its tmi but I get really sweaty and I do use tampons and bath/shower morning and evening but I can always smell it :( I had a visit to the school just before my son started and over heard someone say I smelt and this was about 20 mins after I had a shower, it was very embarrassing but there was nothing more I could have done. I have worked with smelly people who for e.g ate a lot of garlic the night before work and their breath was wiffy and one bloke always stank of stale bo and imo that's avoidable but some things aren't. There is no discreet way of telling someone they smell

A poo smell is most likely to be her breath, rather than her body. Ths can be caused by gut issues as much as oral hygiene, so it is tricky to tackle, as it isn't just a case of her needing a wash and a blob of deodorant. I think you need to stand near her and try to work out if it is her breath. People's bodies don't smell of poo unless they are incontinent, that is v unlikely as she is in such an active job. If it does seem to be her breath then I think she needs to see a GP so it could be tackled in a medical way "I have noticed there is a strange smell to your breath, my friend had this and it was a gut issue that the GP had to look into", something like that, while brutal, will at least mean that she goes to the Doc and gets some help, as no-one wants to be Mrs Stinky. She may well have tonsil problems, tonsil stones smell vile if they get large, and that is something her GP would check for.

Please talk to your Manager, though it will probably be their least favorite job, (I've had to do it a few times and guide other managers through it because their first instincts were to run away) it is their job to deal with and they should be aware if there is a medical issue (they wont tell you). Make it clear that you are not just making a fuss for yourself, but because the customers are starting to comment.