Stinky Smoking Colleague

[SniffsAndSneezes]

I work in an office and share a desk with a colleague who smokes. About 3 times an hour he'll go outside for 5 minutes, have a cigarette and when he comes in he absolutely stinks to high heaven, to the point where I'm almost gagging. I'm just so aware of breathing it in, and of that smell going on my clothes and in my hair. And when I go out for lunch he'll be there, 2 feet from the building entrance puffing away, forcing everyone coming in or going out to walk through a cloud of smoke. It makes me so angry!

WIBU to speak to him about it? I unfortunately can't switch desks and sit somewhere else.

Just to clarify, I mean can you literally move the desk you're at? Even a foot or so would make life easier. You could blame glare on your screen or aircon or something.

Three smoking breaks an hour!

I think the OP is getting a hard time here, are there many non-smokers who would want to share a desk with someone who is frequently nipping off for a cigarette?

Also, OP, could you be pregnant?

Eww. I smoke and I would hate that!

at Dejards post. Yep it's a perfect world and we must all conform.

3 or 4 times an hour - that's like two hours a day! You may it be able to do anything about the smell but I do was his boss if have a big issue with that.

Oooh, another smoking thread. However, I sympathise (I'm a smoker as mentioned on t'other thread). I really, really hope I don't smell that bad, but I always wash my hands thoroughly in cold water/soap and use antiback gel on my hands too). I also only go out for a fag at lunchtime and brush my teeth afterwards (we have lovely ladies loos with separate toilets with sinks). If it really is that bad for the OP, then she should be able to ask for a desk change and it needs to be taken seriously by her manager as it's clearly causing her discomfort. I sat next to a heavily overweight person for three months and he had an awful BO/excessive sweat issue - he actually reeked even by the time he got to work. It was awful and I felt for him as he was a lovely, funny kind man. I think he knew there was an issue so he asked to move himself and ended up on a single desk (a managers positioned desk despite not being one), he just said he felt more comfortable space wise there and we left it at that.

3 times an hour is seriously taking the piss.

are there many non-smokers who would want to share a desk with someone who is frequently nipping off for a cigarette?

I don't now, but did in previous job and didn't bother me in the slightest. As I said upthread, strong perfume bothers me more but I wouldn't say anything about it - it's not my right to dictate what people smell like!

I'm thinking if it is only 5 mins at a time (when i smoked fags lasted about 10mins i reckon, unless i was power smoking in the rain) and 3 times an hour, and the colleague smells that bad after, perhaps they are having a few drags then chipping the fag out and keeping it in their pocket for the next time. That really does smell powerful. Way more than just smoke residue.

it's grim but you're being a bit hysterical. it'd be nice if he washed his hands, chewed some gum though. one of the reasons I quit was because I was ashamed of how gross I smelled when I went inside after a fag. I would rush to wash my hands, chew gum, spray perfume and could feel myself slinking past people embarrassed on the way to the sink. once the ban came in, the stink of smoke on clothes/hands became so noticeable inside

I think MrsK might be right- and even if he's not its a good way of raising the subject and flagging up that he needs to do something.

I'm with you sniffs. If it's okay to talk to someone with strong body odour (as MN seems to generally think is okay) the surely it's okay to object to a colleague stinking of smoke?

I don't know what the answer is, but I'd be pretty revolted by it too. My DCs stopped going to their friend's house because their parents smoked indoors ( not while DCs were there), and they came back stinking of smoke to where I had to wash their hair and change their clothes when they came home. The DCs decided they didn't want to be in a house which smelt so bad, so they don't play there any more. I happily agreed.

Buy him a fabric freshener spray

Or move your/his desk.

YABU

Smoking isn't just extremely glamorous, it is fun and enjoyable, too - not like the moany-faced killjoys who are on an anti-smoking spree this week.

Ugh gross. Stale fag smoke is really unacceptable in an office environment.

It would be nice to be able to say "you stink. You're disgusting. Get yourself on a vaper during working hours you rancid addicted sod" but that probably wouldn't go down very well.

You could spray fabreeze all over him and in the office every time he comes in?

Or, in all seriousness, say you're really sensitive to cigarette smoke and would he consider vaping during work rather than smoking?

Smell is subjective, but if you have to sit next to one you don't like 8 hours a day then you have my sympathy. People who eat so much garlic that it seeps through their skin makes my eyes water.

Difference between most stinks and cigarette stink is that cigarette stink is host to 1000s of harmful chemicals that are still toxic even after the smoker has finished their cigarette. But what can you do? Smoking isn't illegal (yet!) so your colleague is unlikely to stop anytime soon.

I'm not particulary "anti smokers" but I do think that its anti social to do this in an office environment. Its not so much about the smoking, but behaving in a way that's considerate to those around you. Nobody stinking of smoke, strong parfume or BO.

In my old job you were not allowed to smoke on shift (if smoking on your break, you'd have to take off top layer of uniform, anything with company logo on and stand away from the building)

I do feel for smokers, afterall its an addiction but a bit of consideration goes a long way.

I would definitely say something directly to him, but I'm fairly upfront when it comes to antisocial behaviour so the repercussions wouldn't bother me.

Another slightly less confrontational option would be to ask to move desk. At this point you would be able explain how it is effecting your health etc.. Perhaps there's another smoker who wouldn't mind sitting next to him?

I'd say mention it to him OP.

You might find out you're not as odour free, hygenic or likeable as you think you are though.

He might not appreciate having your cats bum face squinting at him all day, hence the 30 fags an hour or whatever bullshitty number it was

Worra , hahaha

If you're a smoker you won't realise just how overpowering the smell of stale cigarette smoke on clothing can be.

Back in the days when people could smoke in the office, I used to share a desk and a telephone with someone that lit up a fag every time they made a phone call. It was truly minging. The telephone, which should have been cream coloured, went a dirty brown and reeked of stale cigarettes.

But maybe not as bad as the director who lived in a mouldy damp house and didn't bother to wash either himself or his clothes (at least he had his own office and we could make excuses to keep the door shut).

Get an oxygen mask and tank off eBay and spray him every time he comes back with febreze. Job done. His lungs are screwed anyway so he don't mind.

I mean he won't mind.

First things first.
How much did his shoes cost?