UMW College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson
College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson’s weekly column in The Free Lance-Star tackles how to have tactful conversations with students and employees about body odor and other smells in the workplace. Read DISTRACTING ODORS.
In the space of one week, I had the following experiences:
While walking on campus one morning, I was behind a woman who must have bathed in perfume. The smell was distinctive and strong.
Another day, I was passed by a young man who reeked of food.
Two days later, a person near me had either not bathed recently or was wearing his clothing for the umpteenth day. His body odor was unpleasant, to say the least.
It made me think about having conversations with both students (who are about to enter the workplace) and employees about the way we smell.