# How do you tell a coworker that her butt is showing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 31, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590 "2011-03-31T02:11:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/21 "2011-03-31T04:47:59Z")
You forgot to mention whether it’s a nice butt. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/22 "2011-03-31T04:55:30Z")
Dear \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Your 5 inches of daily crack is making you the butt of office jokes. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/23 "2011-03-31T05:36:38Z")
How hard would it be to print out an anonymous note saying “Cover up your backside” or words to that effect and leaving it on her desk or a place for her. ---
**Author:** ![Meyer6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@Meyer6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meyer6)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/24 "2011-03-31T07:05:53Z")
Do you mean 5 inches when she’s up and walking around, or 5 inches when she’s sitting down? I mean, 5 inches is an awful lot either way, but sometimes a little bit of crack makes and appearance when you sit down and it can be hard to completely avoid. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/25 "2011-03-31T08:29:42Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Does this really affect you? Why does this have anything to do with you at all? > > If there are performance issues, your supervisor presumably has eyes and is paid to identify and act on problems like this. It’s not your call. > > Maybe she doesn’t. Does she have some kind of obligation to? Yes. She is at a job that has “guests” coming in. It looks bad on the organization to have someone so slovenly dressed. And, according to the OP, people are noticing and commenting about it. Based on the culture we live in, anyone showing that much of their butt comes across as being quite trashy. It reflects poorly on your character. Social customs exist for a reason, and if you want to buck them, you have to be willing to accept that people are going to look disfavorably at you. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/26 "2011-03-31T09:11:34Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Yes. She is at a job that has “guests” coming in. It looks bad on the organization to have someone so slovenly dressed. And, according to the OP, people are noticing and commenting about it. > > Based on the culture we live in, anyone showing that much of their butt comes across as being quite trashy. It reflects poorly on your character. > > Social customs exist for a reason, and if you want to buck them, you have to be willing to accept that people are going to look disfavorably at you. Right, but the question isn’t “Can I have a negative opinion about this woman based on her clothing?”. The question is “How do I say something to her?” And in this case, there really is no appropriate way to say anything: you may not like seeing her butt, you may think she’s being tacky and harmful to the company, but it’s the role of management to deal with the problem, not her co-workers. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/27 "2011-03-31T09:18:02Z")
> [@llamalady88](#): > > How do you tell a coworker (who you will be working with for several more years) that a large portion of her butt is hanging out? this seems to be a constant for her and she never seems to feel a breeze back there even though up to five inches of booty is hanging out. I want to let her know, but in a polite way. any suggestions? Aaaah, the part I underlined is the one that really complicates things. I recently saw a coworker pull another one’s trousers up (by a beltloop), but of course that isn’t polite and you’re more likely to get away with it if you’re female and you’ve got forty years on low-pants-girl… ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/28 "2011-03-31T10:12:47Z")
> [@Meyer6](#): > > Do you mean 5 inches when she’s up and walking around, or 5 inches when she’s sitting down? I mean, 5 inches is an awful lot either way, but sometimes a little bit of crack makes and appearance when you sit down and it can be hard to completely avoid. I can safely say my butt crack has never made an appearance in the workplace. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/29 "2011-03-31T10:36:57Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > If her pants are that low and it’s a regular occurrence she knows. Don’t waste your time. > > When it’s a one time wardrobe malfunction the answer is quietly, discretly and promptly. This. You don’t manage this person, do you? Then it’s not your problem, unless the sight of her crack outrages you so much that you feel you need to speak to her manager about it. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/30 "2011-03-31T11:28:06Z")
> [@capybara](#): > > I’d just drop a pencil in her crack, but I’m like that. I would drop firecrackers. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/31 "2011-03-31T11:49:44Z")
We had an employee who was asked outright: “Do you have a change of clothes? Your top is too revealing and isn’t appropriate for the office?” The next time she wore slut-wear to wrk she was sent home to change. If you aren’t her manager, you might simply mention that the cut of her pants is too revealing for general office wear and it may cause issues if the powers that be take notice. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/32 "2011-03-31T12:36:23Z")
It happens fairly regularly in my workplace, and with several different women. We are not shy about pointing it out to each other. I’ve been known to say, “that reminds me, I’ve got a letter I have to mail”. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/33 "2011-03-31T13:11:09Z")
Toss pennies at it. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/34 "2011-03-31T13:27:11Z")
> [@capybara](#): > > I’d just drop a pencil in her crack, but I’m like that. Ah, so that’s why they’re called #2. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/35 "2011-03-31T13:40:39Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Aaaah, the part I underlined is the one that really complicates things. I recently saw a coworker pull another one’s trousers up (by a beltloop), but of course that isn’t polite and you’re more likely to get away with it if you’re female and you’ve got forty years on low-pants-girl… I am totally with the OP and think that “appropriate work wear” means “not showing your ass” but this old lady of yours would piss me right the fuck off. Get away from her, you old hag, and stop touching things that aren’t yours. As to the OP, you can only speak to your manager. We had a woman once bring in her daughter to do volunteer work. Sexy little sixteen year old, and she’s wearing hot pants to work. At no point did the mom say “That’s not a good idea”. The supervisor had to say it. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/36 "2011-03-31T13:41:54Z")
Put some ass doilies on her desk. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/37 "2011-03-31T14:17:00Z")
[This](http://www.crackcreme.com/) will eventually make her crack go away. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/38 "2011-03-31T14:25:18Z")
If it were me I wouldn’t want my supervisor to have to sit down and have this discussion with me if it is something that could easily have been addressed without dragging them into it. My supervisor is the person who determines my raises and promotions. My supervisor is the person who determines whether or not I lose my job if I screw up at work. They are the one who helps me set my career path and gives me a reference if I leave the company. I wouldn’t want someone who has that kind of influence over my career to have any reason to think less of me if it is at all avoidable so I would much prefer to have someone else point out something like that. YMMV, of course, but if your coworker tends to be pretty laid back and avoids office drama and the like it might be something to keep in mind when addressing the situation. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/39 "2011-03-31T14:45:16Z")
I’d go with something like… “Yo, Coworker–your ass is hanging out.” ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590/40 "2011-03-31T14:48:18Z")
This is an office. Isn’t she worried? I mean all those cups of hot coffee on everyone’s desk. Doesn’t she know shes providing an unprotected funnel-spout to some fairly sensitive nerve endings? Yikes. I mean, if she catches a grande, the whole office is going to hear some venti (and see some foam). > [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Toss pennies at it. “You’re all clear, kid.” 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tell-a-coworker-that-her-butt-is-showing/576590.md?page=3)