[Mountaindewed]

My new coworker smells pretty bad. I never noticed the smell until she started. I noticed it last week and then today. Today it was really bad. I could smell it from across the store. I’m not sure if she’s not showering or if she’s got a medical condition or what. She’s of average intelligence and doesn’t seem to have any physical or mental conditions. It’s just really distracting. Plus I don’t want people to think it’s me. That’s the main thing I’m worried about. I’m sure it’s her though and not some other smell in the store. I smelled it when I was up close to her. Also I walked into the break room and she was in there with 2 other people who had just come in and the room was filled with the smell. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do? I’m guessing I should just ignore it and wait for someone else to report it?

[Mountaindewed]

Let me clarify a bit more. I probably have OCD. Although it’s a self diagnosis. For a couple years I was very paranoid I smelled bad. I was obsessed with showering. I took 40 minute showers daily. I would use multiple different kinds of soap and I would go through them very fast. Our water bill was sky high. Then I would use a lot of spray and deodorant. I was constantly asking for reassurance from people I trusted if I smelled (they said I didn’t but I didn’t believe them) I had bad smell hallucinations. I would not even wear the same sweatshirt twice in a week.

Finally after losing a lot of weight and an increase In lamictal these thoughts mostly went away. I feel like they are kind of returning with this new coworker. Tonight I kept smelling my shirt because I felt like her smell got on me. I also smelled it in the air. I’m pretty sure it was a smell hallucination. I don’t like the word trigger. I feel like it’s overused. But I do feel triggered by her odor and I feel like it’s affecting me. I don’t want to full blown relapse. I really don’t know what to do. If I should mention it or not.

[Mountaindewed]

Apparently the smell is marijuana. People have noticed it and have recognized the smell. I have never smoked or been around pot so I wouldn’t recognize the smell. They claimed it was coming from a product in the store, but none of these coworkers discussing it today were there yesterday when the odor was terrible. The coworker who smells like it was not there today and there was no smell. A coworker did ask her and she says she’s not smoking it. Maybe a family member is.

Can the company decide to drug test everyone if this continues? I finally realized why my 7 year old classmate smelled so badly though in 1st grade. Her parents were smoking pot. It took me 20 years to figure that out.

Well. It’s probably an annoyance... but I would try to ignore it and not get involved.

[healingme4me]

You may be within your right to ask a supervisor? I don't know your work policy. I work within a policy of must maintain good hygeine, and have signed off on that as has everyone that I work with. I'm trying to recall if through the years if it's ever been an issue with anyone because despite the policy, it is such a sensitive matter to discuss. Hurt feelings and all. We have clothing stipends so there's really no reason after the first year to not have plenty of clean clothes.
If there is a drug and alcohol policy, that too can be a rather sensitive matter.
Do you have personal lockers at work? Maybe say hey, I keep sweaters or a clean set in my locker so that I don't have to worry about bringing dog hair(or whatever) with me to work. ??