I simply cannot believe this happened today.

As some may know, things have been in flux at my workplace. Changes in all departments and a "new, wonderful guy" in mine. No matter says I, just do your job well and all will be well.

NOT!

I was asked by the Production Manager, let's call him "John" to meet in his office this afternoon. When I got up there I found the head of of our Association there too and thought "Whoa. Shit gonna hit the fan." And it did.

Turns out I smell. Oh yes, I smell so bad that that people have to leave their offices when I leave because "...the stench just lingers there." Supposedly, there have been numerous complaints about my "stench". STENCH!!! Dead bodies have a "stench".

Lesse here. I shower EVERY goddamned morning. I change every article clothing from the skin out, including bras every morning. I do NOT wear perfume or any scented products because 1. I am aware that there are some folks who are sensitive to chemicals and 2. My personal body chemistry makes such things smell like dead weasel pee!

I do not use scented laundry soap, dryer sheets etc. Hell, if you smell anything it would be me. And that is the problem. I am told that my personal odour is "strong, offensive and extremely difficult to stomach."

This gets better. I work in a machine shop. I am exposed to oils, zinc phosphate, grease, coolant fluids every freakin' day! I handle this stuff every day but I STINK??!!!

There are folks at work who and I kid you not, do NOT wash all week!!! They friggin' reek come Wednesday. There are folks with rotting teeth in their mouths that I have to get up close and personal with and deal with the miasma of fog coming from their mouths but I STINK??!!!

I damn near lost it. I pointed out that I am not using any products with scent, that I am aware that I have a "musky" scent to myself but there is little I can do about it. When "John" said something must be done because it offends people I responded with, "Shall I change the colour of my eyes as well if that offends people?"

I have worked in many offices, served in the military, worked in a elementary school and never, NEVER have been told I STINK!!!! I scrub myself every god damned morning. Loofas, clean face cloths name it. I scrub my teeth to the point you would never know I smoke. I keep my hair clean to the point it fluffs up when I have any length. And I STINK??!!

I was not embarrassed or hurt by this "chat". I am enraged. What is this bull-shit? Every woman who worked on that shop floor is gone except for two since John came in - guess who's one of them? What the hell am I supposed to do? And no, I do not sweat excessively etc etc.

I actually asked my boss, who has been trapped in the same small office with me for two years if I had a personal BO problem. His answer, "I would have told you if you did and Kim, trust me when I can smell you, you smell very nice indeed." This from a man with no social graces at all. If I stank he WOULD tell me.

Our Association head told John, "this is over. The woman is doing everything she can and quite frankly, I don't know what you're talking about. It's over." John's answer was and I quote, "No it's not. We will do something about this whether she likes it or not." Can anyone say "Human Rights"?

Nail me for incompetence, absenteeism, being a general fuck up (not that they can) but this, THIS is outrageous!!! Christ, I've been sniffing my pits all damned night! I smell like Ivory soap!

I am speechless now.

Blessing from the Smelly North,

Kest

sounds like the jack ass has issues with women and I'd most def be finding some sort of counsel to head his ass off at the pass.

I'd also point out to him if he does manage to fire youon bull shit reasons, and he doesn't make it across the gender board, that you will see him in a court of law, cause last I heard they didn't ake too kindly to shit like that from asses like him.

What a complete and utter friggin asshole!!!... I agree with what Novia said, this guy needs a good whippin also...what a dickhead. Im sorry hun...I hope that you fight this ALL the way!!!

The guy is a complete jerk.

What do you do now.... well don't get angry at work, get factual. If you have a union go and see someone, if you don't, have a look round and see if there are any solicitors/lawyers who do a free consultation (or a minimum charge) on employment advice. Fact yourself up. This is, if he is like this, not gonna go away (although I really do hope it does die a death and you hear nothing more). Find out where you stand legally. You don't have to let them know you are doing this though, keep that for later on.

Keep a record of all meetings you have, who is in there etc. Write down everything that is said. If you have a union, take a rep in with you for all meetings. If you don't, take someone you can trust in with you.

Write a full transcript of the last meeting too.

If you have the relevant legal information before he tries the next "trick", the better you will handle it. Also if he continues, you will know that although he thinks he is winning, he is actually screwing himself and the company.

If he is doing this because he hates/dislikes women, oh honey, you get em and you get em good.

I can't stand bullying in any form and the best way to beat it, is to stay calm and collected and know the law so you can whup their asses. Way better than having a stand up argument or something along those lines where they then have a "reason" to dismiss you.

Am I overreacting, maybe, but hey, better to be prepared.

Also remember he is going to be way more pissed off if you staying calm and don't reacting and being professional at all times.

Love & Light
Rowan

I feel your pain Raevyn, and excellent advice as has been stated before..you get him Girl!! 0956(

Keep us informed on what is happening...we will give you all the support we have to offer!

Blessings Bright and Dark,

I've had the "stink" line pulled on me as well when I was in school. We (me and my brother) went into homeschool when my grandma got cancer to be able to spend more time with her before she died, after she did, we went back to school a year later, and they were super pissed at us.
They made us take aptitude tests, and then claimed we cheated when we did better than the other kids, and then they started to complain about stupid things like, our cloths weren't nice enough, we didn't play well with others, and then, "your odor is offensive, and we can smell you down the hall."

Eventually they stopped picking on me, I'm not sure why, mabey because I stood up to them, but they went to town on my little brother, pulling him out of class, forcing him to shower at the school, forcing him to use deoderant even though my entire familly is allergic to perfume, telling him that he stunk in front of the entire class.

We took him to doctors, all who said he had no odor problem, we took him to the school board, and had them all come up and sniff him (hell for a painfully shy 11 year old), we even had the ex principal, who is now the mayor, smell him, and EVERYONE said there was no problem. Did they stop? no.

It got to the point that he went back into homeschool again because they broke him. The distroyed him, and he still hasn't recovered. The only friend he has is my boyfriends little bro, who we had to force him to see the first few times, but is now his best friend and theyre thick as theaves, but he refuses to do anything where people are involved. He wont even go to the cash register at most stores on his own.

I wish we had done more to fight them at the time, but the only thing we could afford to do was pull him out. We couldn't afford a lawyer to fight them, and we had no proof.

That would be my biggest advice, go to multiple doctors, and all your co-workers, asking them if you smell, and would you sign something to that effect. Then go to your steward, or whoever your legal person is and tell them whats going on, that you suspect it's because your a women, telling them why you think that, and go from there. But in the mean time, don't give them any other reason to fire you, so no blow ups or anything, even though you feel like castrating the son of a bitch, and he does diserve it, you'll have to act like the perfect employee.