Coworker accuses employee of smelling bad, despite her doctor telling her that she doesn't have a smell: 'I take great pains to NOT smell.'

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Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Aug 31, 2026 4:00 PM EDT

Should she trust her coworker more than her doctor?

I do not know how people can go days without showering. Unless you are a newborn baby or in a survival situation with no running water, there is no excuse for not hopping in the shower for 10 minutes a day and lathering up your whole body. You do not need 10 million different gels and conditioners to be clean, contrary to what some clean consumers believe. As long as you shower, wash your sheets, and wear deodorant, you really can't go wrong. It's not rocket science. 

There are some unsubstantiated rumors going around that you don't need to shower every day if you are generally clean in every other area of your life, and that's just not true. You definitely do not need to wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner every day to be clean, but if the largest organ on your body goes mostly unwashed for days at a time, you shouldn't be surprised that you stink. Just because you don't smell it doesn't mean that everyone else can't, and you should be considerate of other people's nostrils.  

Should smelling badly prevent you from having a job? It is definitely unprofessional behavior, whether you like that classification of "smelliness" or not. But sometimes, it's just as unprofessional to tell someone that they smell as it is to be the smelly person. A professional took to r/Advice to ask what to do about her coworker, who keeps making passive-aggressive comments about her scent. The employee is hygienic, showering regularly, and even went to the doctor to see if this percieved scent could be from some medical issue. 

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  • Two women are looking at a laptop screen
    via Vitaly Gariev

    Two coworkers, one of whom keeps telling the other, in no uncertain terms, that she stinks. LIterally.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • My coworker says I smell, my doctor says I don’t… so how do I handle her passive-aggressive comments?”

    So a couple months ago, a woman transferred to my department. She's a coworker, but has several years of experience on me.
    via u/anandriya
  • A couple weeks ago, she mentioned that I "have a smell". To her credit, she mentioned it to me privately and I could tell she was trying to not be r de. Since then, she's made comments that I've interpreted as passive digs/reminders of my "smell".
    via u/anandriya
  • The thing is, I don't smell! I have good hygiene, and keep myself and my living area very clean. I take great pains to NOT smell. Her comment got so in my head that I even went to my doctor to get a neutral opinion. When I
    via u/anandriya
  • asked my doc if I had a smell, she gave me a weird look and said I absolutely do not have a smell.
    via u/anandriya
  • Medical professional bringing her hands together on a notebook and staring ahead of herself
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    The doctor tells her patient that she does not smell, despite her coworker's claim.

    Featured likenesses do not identify those mentioned.

  • My question is how do I handle this moving forward with my coworker? How can I politely handle it when she makes passive aggressive comments about my smell?
    via u/anandriya
  • pdxcranberry The only thing that works with passive aggressive people is fully calling them out every time. Repeat exactly what she said to you. Ask her what exactly she meant by that. Don't let her be evasive. Also this should be reported to management. It's harassment. Even IF you had a smell, she has no place trying to police colleagues hygiene.
    via u/pdxcranberry
  • Old Buy4268 Oh, the what did you mean by that? method is an underrated method. Passive aggression goes away in an instant when one needs to explain oneself lol
    via u/Old_Buy4268
  • PoopyMcFartButt Tell her you had your doctor take a look and he actually discovered that you are made of rubber, and she is made of glue, so whatever she says bounces off of you and sticks onto her
    via u/PoopyMcFartButt
  • Odd-Mastodon 1212 Document and take it to HR. Seems like workplace bu ying. If no one else complains or corroborates, she's just a weirdo.
    via u/Odd-Mastodon1212
  • harriettehspy Document, document, document. Be specific, use exact dates and times and exact quotes. Consider using your doctor's input in your report. List the effect it has had on you. This is the only way you should go to HR. Remember, they are there to protect the company and do NOT respond well to employees that have complaints against others. Sad, but true. This is one of the ways office bu es get away with everything. It's easier for the higher ups to pretend like nothing is happening. Af
    via u/harriettehspy
  • Odd-Mastodon 1212 I might also point out that this new hire can't be working terribly hard if she time to suss out a faint to non-existent smell. They might take it into account at the end of her 90 days. Obviously her supervisor has no issue with OP's smell and she's a good worker who knows the ropes.
    via u/Odd-Mastodon1212
  • incrediblepepsi It sounds as though you're doing all you can to avoid having an odour, not to say she's lying, but there's a possibility she is bu ying you. I would suggest you go to a trusted manager privately and ask them. Make it clear that you don't want them to protect your feelings, you have been to the doctor and they don't know what to suggest, as you... don't seem to smell.
    via u/incrediblepepsi
  • This covers all bases, because if you do have a smell that affects co-workers, the manager has a perfect opportunity to discuss with you. If you don't smell, the manager will realise this staff member is behaving like a bu y, and you have alerted them early whilst attempting to resolve this in a non confrontational and professional manner.
    via u/incrediblepepsi
  • Present_Original_797 First check shoes. Sometimes a pair of our favorite shoes have gone stinky. I had a pair that did and wondered which of my co-workers smelled like stinky feet. Oops. Then ask her in private what smell? A shampoo she doesn't like? Your dryer sheets? If she can't describe it or gives you a catty answer, tell her if she continues to comment you're taking it to HR. Does ANYONE else notice? Other co workers?
    via u/Present_Original_797
  • meNameBen Smell like what? Body odor? Bad breath? I'd just have an earnest conversation with the coworker to find out more. Most people become nose-blind to their own smells.
    via u/meNameBen

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terrible coworkers smells workplace-stories smell work drama smelling coworkers doctor karen coworker smelly advice workplace coworker stinky
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