# My Employee smells like skunk **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 19, 2014, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530 "2014-07-19T13:43:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/61 "2014-07-21T19:26:08Z")
> [@hkepotat](#): > > Don’t think it would be quite as relevant to getting another job, but should she be looking to get ahead within the same company, I could see the issue coming up and preventing a raise or promotion that otherwise would be deserved. It does seem as though suspicion of drug use should require some level or work performance or safety concern, or at least some sort of distinctive impaired effects of being under the influence. > > If she can be added to the next round with no one ever knowing that it was not part of the random, then that’s fine. If it is something that even after passing, she may still be looked at with suspicion for even needing the test, I would think you should look to get a bit more probable cause before potentially damaging a person’s career and livelihood. > > In any case, being an employer, I can tell you that many previous employers will go on and on about why they let an employee go, or what discipline actions they took, often admitting to having taken illegal disciplinary actions (Like withholding pay as punishment for “insubordinate acts”). I am not allowed to ask, and they are not technically supposed to offer, but there are a surprising number of employers out there that do not know or follow such rules. > > Having been an employee, I have sat in on phone calls and heard what my previous employers have said about me, not all of it true, and all of it well above the general reporting of begin/end dates and salary. I could see this person looking to get another job, and the HR department of this small company happens to be run by someone who likes to gossip, and telling all about the time she needed to be drug tested for smelling like skunk to every potential employer. So yeah, while it may not be a requested piece of information, it still could be a piece of information that haunts her career, and on this very planet. I’ll take your experience at face value. I might see a small business that doesn’t know any better possibly doing this, but as an employer myself I personally have never run into this type of gossipy info sharing from a business big enough to have an HR dept when requesting professional level employment info. A “gossipy” HR person is normally going to be an unemployed HR person fairly quickly. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/62 "2014-07-21T19:33:27Z")
> [@bobkitty](#): > > That’s a totally different smell, one which I detect now and then at work and which sometimes- depending on the closeness of the relationship with the coworker- results in a knowing look and/or a high-five. 😃 Huh, really? Are these male or female coworkers? I’d be surprised if I could smell that on someone unless I found myself right at crotch level for some bizarre reason. ---
**Author:** ![nicole1912](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@nicole1912](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicole1912)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/63 "2014-07-21T19:38:16Z")
OP, if it’s part of the terms of your contract with the government that everyone working for you has to refrain from using any illegal drugs at all times, is there perhaps a clause in there about regular testing of all employees to ensure that you’re meeting this term? If so, it seems to me that the problem is easily solved - it’s time for this employee’s annual drug test. If there isn’t such a clause, perhaps it might be an idea to introduce a regular testing programme where everyone gets checked at least once a year to ensure that you’re all in line with your contractual obligations, which might help mitigate the stigma attached and avoid damaging careers unnecessarily. Personally, I think it might be worth starting off by treating this like a case of bad body odour and bringing it up out of concern for the employee, in case something’s wrong at home - which might also be an issue for your contract/her clearance, I suppose, depending on the nature of the work you do. Her reaction to that conversation should let you know whether you would be right to ask for a drug test, or whether it’s something entirely innocent. I wouldn’t have thought just being sent for a drug test would affect her clearance (though I suppose it might make them review things more closely) as long as she passes the test… ---
**Author:** ![hkepotat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hkepotat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hkepotat)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/64 "2014-07-21T19:47:25Z")
> [@astro](#): > > I’ll take your experience at face value. I might see a small business that doesn’t know any better possibly doing this, but as an employer myself I personally have never run into this type of gossipy info sharing from a business big enough to have an HR dept when requesting professional level employment info. A “gossipy” HR person is normally going to be an unemployed HR person fairly quickly. You would think, but one thing that I have noticed is a universal trait of all HR personnel, they are all human, and do human things. Probably the most egregious example I have of a gossipy HR person did find herself unemployed, but not for over 7 years, and for something completely unrelated (other than making bad judgement calls), and I listened to her bad mouth me to potential employers a number of times before she left (They were very upset with me when I took another job offer). ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/65 "2014-07-21T19:58:38Z")
Or there is always the direct route. Pull in said employee and tell them there have been complaints about smell. Ask if there is a problem? Broken washing machine? Plumbing problem and not able to easily shower daily? Some other medical issue? If you approach it as “is there something we can do to help fix this” it will be received better than “we think you are dealing drugs or have taken up skunk ranching” ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/66 "2014-07-21T20:30:16Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > Or there is always the direct route. Pull in said employee and tell them there have been complaints about smell. > > Ask if there is a problem? Broken washing machine? Plumbing problem and not able to easily shower daily? Some other medical issue? > > If you approach it as “is there something we can do to help fix this” it will be received better than “we think you are dealing drugs or have taken up skunk ranching” You need to be extremely careful about this though. If you approach her about the smell issue and it doesn’t go away you now have to follow up on that until it does or she provides some type of explanation. And then the second you put in for a drug test she will know it was not random because she was told she smelled skunky. From her perspective it would probably be better to schedule the test first and if it comes back clean then address the odor issue at a later date. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/67 "2014-07-21T20:59:53Z")
1. Smells like a skunk? Wash in tomato juice. It could be worse. You could have had a V8. 2. Review your government contract: > [@nicole1912](#): > > OP, if it’s part of the terms of your contract with the government that everyone working for you has to refrain from using any illegal drugs at all times, is there perhaps a clause in there about regular testing of all employees to ensure that you’re meeting this term? If so, it seems to me that the problem is easily solved - it’s time for this employee’s annual drug test. 1. If applicable, announce random drug testing will begin tomorrow. Then follow your written policies. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/68 "2014-07-22T02:12:22Z")
I’m thinking your employee comes from the lost tribe of hippies who use [hemp shampoo](http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=400604&catid=183477&aid=338666&aparam=400604&kpid=400604). ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/69 "2014-07-22T02:13:28Z")
Hemp shampoo smells nothing like skunk. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/70 "2014-07-22T02:21:54Z")
Is there any metabolic disorder which makes the body emanate stank whiff? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/71 "2014-07-22T02:31:50Z")
> [@Enola\_Straight](#): > > Is there any metabolic disorder which makes the body emanate stank whiff? [yes](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=17562048&postcount=10) ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/72 "2014-07-22T04:09:39Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > I guess. I don’t really think it’s fair to preemptively say, “I’m going to ask advice about an ethically gray action and YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO QUESTION ME!” I don’t really care enough to start a new thread. The OP is allowed to ignore me. > > This is a discussion board, not an answering service. Sorry, pal, the OP gave parameters and you deliberately tried to start something. If you don’t like it, the accepted protocol is to start your own thread, for somebody else to try to subvert with their own social engineering project which is at odds with yours. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/73 "2014-07-22T04:14:26Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > Lucky you. ‘Bad’ and ‘unpleasant’ don’t even begin to describe it. Especially a fresh spray. I had a skunk bomb my house, or the surrounding environs, years ago…it woke me up in the middle of the night. I thought that the house was on fire. It was horrible, and didn’t even settle down to ‘skunk’ smell until a day or three later. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/74 "2014-07-22T05:09:22Z")
I’ve never smelled a skunk and the labour laws in my country are quite different to the US. My approach would be to have the appropriate person (either HR or their immediate manager) approach them with the issue. Literally that it has been noted that said employee had presented to work on more than 1 separate occasion, smelling badly. You can even say that the smell has been described as similar to that of a skunk. Ask the person is there any reason they can see for this. Again, I’m not familiar with your labour laws and what grounds there are for discrimination, but you want to ensure the discussion goes through the personal hygiene space. If someone chooses to use home made soap or no soap or wash their clothes in the nearby stream then all good but if the result is they stink, then not good and they need to do something about it. if they eat a particular type of food that causes them to smell, be aware of it. if they’re taking some prescription medication and the smell is a side effect, manage it some way. I personally wouldn’t refer them straight to a drug test unless there were other signs that you can pick up by observation to make a case for it, but again I don’t know your labour laws. A number of years ago I had to deal with an employee who stank but had no insight into it. A few discussions with their manager and they couldn’t understand it. Yes they bathed regularly, used soap, washed the clothes etc etc. It wasn’t until someone went to see them at home (at invitation) that the penny dropped, they had dogs in the house that used their clean laundry as a day bed. Their clothes smelt like dog and they couldn’t smell it because they were used to the smell. Their whole house smelt like dog. ---
**Author:** ![Artemis\_Tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@Artemis\_Tardis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Artemis_Tardis)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/75 "2014-07-29T14:52:23Z")
I think she might have to take more showers. Weed does not make you smell bad… It makes you hungry and giggly. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/76 "2014-07-29T16:29:32Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > Can we also get a cite for the claim that your job is to police your subordinates’ time away from work and ferret out any possible criminal activity? Just saying “Government Contractor!” isn’t exactly persuasive. Do you understand that virtually all federal contractors have a requirement to maintain a drug-free workplace, per the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, codified at 41 U.S. Code § 8102 et seq? Do you understand the requirements of that law? Specifically, do you understand that 8102(b)(1)(A) says that failure to, in good faith, maintain the requirements of a drug free workplace can lead to payment under a contract awarded by a Federal agency being suspended, the contract terminated, and the contractor or individual who made the contract with the agency being suspended or debarred? ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/77 "2014-07-29T16:32:46Z")
I ran over a skunk once with my open convertible and I smelled like such for several days, but I find that smell in no way related to what we’d light up and smoke at times. ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/78 "2014-07-29T16:35:30Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > If it comes back negative, the employer looks like an idiot, though. Said employer will feel much more like an idiot if they lose a govt contract and all possibility of ever getting another in future. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/79 "2014-07-29T16:40:59Z")
to the OP - can we get an update? I’m curious to hear what happened. also, and respectfully - why didn’t you title this “my employee smells like pot” if that was what you meant? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530/80 "2014-07-29T16:45:05Z")
> [@DingoelGringo](#): > > Said employer will feel much more like an idiot if they lose a govt contract and all possibility of ever getting another in future. Agreed. I just have a problem with an accusation made without strong foundation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-employee-smells-like-skunk/693530.md?page=5)