Q. We've received a complaint about an employee's hygiene. What should we do?
Answer:
As with any sensitive topic, address the poor hygiene privately, empathetically, and directly with the employee. A compassionate and straightforward approach is best. Hold the conversation towards the end of the day so the employee doesn't spend their workday feeling self-conscious.
If it's your first conversation with the employee about hygiene, there shouldn't be any need for discipline. Explain to them how their hygiene is affecting the workplace, citing any relevant company policies
Avoid speculating about the cause of the poor hygiene or offering suggestions for how to improve it. Instead, focus on expectations, and leave it to the employee to figure out how to meet them. Poor hygiene could be the result of an illness, medication, disability, or the consequence of a religious preference. If the employee brings up any of these things, consider whether offering an accommodation is appropriate.