Office smell

LegacyUser

For the last two months I've been working in an office in the centre of town, which I share with one other person.

The office itself has a kind of window thing which opens out onto another part of the building so there's no actual fresh air coming in at all.

My co-worker is constantly farting. At first it was kind of funny but not any more... I go home in the evenings and my clothes smell of her stinks. There are quiet ones so I can't say anything really but I'd just be sitting there and next thing this awful pong has filled our little office.

We have a fan that we use sometimes but as I said there's no fresh air coming into the office so there's no where for the fan to blow the air.

I've tried to broach the subject with her but to no avail. I don't want to come out and say it straight because it's probable I'll be working there with her for a long time.

It's even worse these days because we have a lot more visitors to the office and I can tell by their face that they are disgusted. When they look at her, a cute 21yr old college graduate, and me, a 28yr old male with stubble, they're obviously gonna assume it's me!

I asked her before what she ate typically, in an effort to find out if she was eating too much cabbage or something (ok I don't know much about what causes excessive flatulation but you know what I'm getting at). She told me she eats a lot of ham (her father is a butcher) so I can't exactly ask her to stop that.

I thought about sending her an anonymous email but considering there's just two of us in the office she'd obviously guess it was me! I don't want to quit a job just because of this but I'm tired of having to breath in this air all the time (by the end of the day the office is absolutely putrid) and I'm tired of having to wash my clothes every day after work.

Any suggestions would be appreciated, sensible suggestions only please. Please bear in mind that I don't want to cause any aggro.

ToxicPaddy

Try jamming the door to the office open.. even the slights movement of air should
help and see if that works.. the air flow from the window through the office and out the door may help ease the situation..

Either that, or just start spraying air freshner in the office everytime you get a whiff
of one she's dropped.. she might get the hint and see you're not too impressed
anymore.. who knows it may work.

You could also come in with a gas mask on some morning and see what the reaction
is.. or better still just put it on when you're expecting visitors... im sure they will get
the hint soon enough

Tox

LegacyUser

you have the right idea with sending an anonymous email - what i would do in this situation is send an email to both yourself and her.

make it look like the mail is from an anonymous outsider who maybe visits your office during the course of the day and has noticed the 'aroma'. the mail can be a subtle hint or an outright request that the farting stop.

by doing this you can spare her blushes (to some extent) and at the same time avoid any animosity between the two of you.

send the email from some hotmail or yahoo account or something.

Lafortezza

I'd go with the constantly spraying air freshener in her direction when she cracks one off. Don't intimate that its her just say 'there's a dreadful smell in here'.

Beruthiel

there's a lad in my office here, never stops cracking one off, I've ordered him out of the office when he feels one coming on, they are just too rank to put up with!
he obliges
why not do the same?

hedgetrimmer

Talk to your personnel officer. AFAIK, I think that every office has to by regulation have free-flowing air and a window allowing external light and air in. Could be a tack, but you could also raise the issue with management. There was a thread about body odour in work on PI recently which may be of use.

Here it is

Sleipnir

It's nothing to cause a stink about!

Seriously though, as a previous poster suggested, I would do the anonymous email thing.
You could address it to both of you and phrase it so it sounds like it's a customer.

"I visited your office recently and couldn't help but notice the amount of foul-smelling methane that pervades the atmosphere......."

raphaelS

A candle maybe...?!

Seriously the email is a good idea but send it to both of you and use it to talk to her.

Raphael

kenny

Every time she lifts a cheek shout ' WOOHOO GOOD ARSE'.

She may get embarrased and stop.

Or she may get encouraged and ask you to pull her finger.

mean mr mustard

funny that there's an ad for a fart machine at the top of the page - or at least there is now....

smell_of_fear, i think u should buy it to even the score.

Ph3n0m

personally, the next time she cracks one off, just jump up and scream

"Jesus Christ, who the f**k farted"

and immediately after that, point at her and blame her


otherwise buy nose plugs

uberwolf

Originally posted by Ph3n0m
personally, the next time she cracks one off, just jump up and scream

"Jesus Christ, who the f**k farted"

and immediately after that, point at her and blame her

I actually think this could work, it would seem spontaneous, and something that would be done amongst friends bt equally would most certainly alert her to the problem.


Equally HR may need to be approached, because if this goes pair shaped you don't know where it could go...

therecklessone

Originally posted by Ph3n0m
personally, the next time she cracks one off, just jump up and scream

"Jesus Christ, who the f**k farted"

It'll never work...

She'll counter with "smelt it dealt it"...

Ph3n0m

However most people when they are accused of something immediately get embaressed and get quite flustered.

But before doing something that extreme, I would actually have a word with her - kid gloves and all, that type of thing really isnt on, and it makes for an uncomfortable working enviroment

Blitzkrieger

Originally posted by raphaelS
A candle maybe...?!

Maybe a naked flame isn't the best idea.........

I'd go with the email.

Mutz

Originally posted by hedgetrimmer
Talk to your personnel officer. AFAIK, I think that every office has to by regulation have free-flowing air and a window allowing external light and air in. Could be a tack, but you could also raise the issue with management. There was a thread about body odour in work on PI recently which may be of use.

Here it is

Agreed - health and safety at work is a big thing these days. In the mean time, buy two massive office fans, one at each side of the room and claim them back off petty cash - explain about "some sort of smell" that won't go away.

An email? in reality I think its not such a good Idea.

<Edit> I also think you are lying cause a girl once told me that women don't fart! </edit>

ven0m

Women Fart? I bloody knew it!!! They're all feckin liars.... everything about them is a lie!!!!!

<BEGIN RANT>
They don't look like that in the morning...
Their hair is NOT that straight
They aren't that tall - lose the heels woman!!!!
They don't smell like CK-1 or whatever the frick they're wearing!
You're skin's not that color!!!!!
& YES
THEY DO FART!!!!! IT IS NOW CONFIRMED!!!!!
</END RANT>






::: FARTING WHILE CROWD SURFING WILL NOT GET YOU FURTHER!! :::

OfflerCrocGod

Just straight out tell her that farting is not on and that you don't like it:rolleyes:, why are all you ppl pussy footing around the issue she needs to be told and it has to stop FULL STOP.

Agent Smith

Originally posted by therecklessone
It'll never work...

She'll counter with "smelt it dealt it"...

ah yes, when boards hit's the 12 year old mentality.....



















i say, send her a email.....

zervi2003

Did you tell her/what happened?

I would loose the head/rag with her.

What does she think she is doing by farting all the time?

Everyone farts, boys girls, accidentally or not.

But if she thinks shes being funny by doing this all the time, then you need to firmly let her know she is not funny and that the smell of her s**t is making you sick.

End story.

Would she do this if she was in a pub/out for a drink?
Would she do it, say, getting changed in a swimming pool?

I think she thinks that you think its funny or entertaining. Forget anonymous emails and tell her the real story. She will get embarassed but she'll get over it. When point out that her farts make you want to gag, say something positive like "you are great to work with....etc" will take the sting off her embarassment.

Penfolds

Originally posted by therecklessone
It'll never work...

She'll counter with "smelt it dealt it"...

Then counter back with "she who denied it supplied it" Touche !

D-Generate

He who tells teh rhyme did the crime!
Thus she wins in the juvenile war.

flangeman

You all probably remember this article from a few papers a few years back, but it was in fact my Aunty from the wee town of Ardee. It got so bad she had to leave and sued(they settled out of court).

http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:Exp7mcXPrBgJ:lifestyle.scotsman.com/families/headlines_specific.cfm%3Farticleid%3D1684+%22paula+levins%22&hl=en

Etain

We had a similar situation at work (a co-worker with gagging body odor). I was asked to speak to her. I suggest that, close to the end of the work day, you very calmly ask if she would stay a few moments after work to speak with you. When you talk to her: Use a serious/ concerned voice, have what you want to say written down, don't use "I" statements, use proper terms (flatulence etc..), ask how "we" can remedy the situation.
You may find out that she has some medical condition causing it (certain meds or illness) and she can't help it. Maybe, as crazy as it sounds, she's not aware that anyone notices. If it can't be helped, discuss leaving the door open and using an electric fan to keep the air circulating.
Good luck! :cool: