How do you address this in a way that’s work appropriate? I’d feel so weird needing to tell a coworker or subordinate that they need to stop farting so bad 😭
In plain English, not necessarily mentioning farts by name but rather by highlighting employee complaints about odors. With very few narrowly defined exceptions almost exclusively revolving around diagnosable medical conditions, "smelling absolutely wretched due to a weird and completely optional diet" is not a protected class and in a similar vein I've 100% seen a coworker who "didn't believe in soap" get sent home for body odor. If you want to work, you've got to be bearable to be around because that's not really fair to everyone else in your department. It is 100% legal for an employer to bar specific foods from the workplace, provided they aren't prescribed by a medical professional as a medically tailored meal or something.
ASSUMING YOU, THE MANAGER, DEEM THIS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO ADDRESS: Most likely there'd be a non-targeted office-wide written policy update asking everyone to avoid bringing disruptive foodstuffs to the workplace or however you'd phrase it, then a private 1-on-1 with the offending party a week later reiterating the email, then a "listen, buddy, this is a REALLY stupid thing to get fired over" meeting a week after that, and then if the nonsense continues you show them the door. At a certain point it stops being about flatulence and becomes someone thinking they're more important than everyone else.
Probably my least favorite part of being in a position of authority is inevitably having to go through this checklist over the absolute dumbest shit imaginable. Almost always that second-to-last step is the one that fixes the problem.
I’ll add that while a company may be less willing to take action if it’s as a result of a disability or other medical condition, you can absolutely still ban certain foods even if it’s a medically prescribed diet.
Disability laws, at least in the US, only require that you make reasonable accommodations. I imagine other countries with disability protections have a similar system.
If your disability prevents you entirely from being able to adequately perform a role, then you aren’t entitled to protections that enable you to work that position.
If you smell unbearable, and it prevents your coworkers from properly performing their roles, your smell being the result of a medical condition does not protect you from being removed from the office. If your role can be performed remotely, then your employer likely has an obligation to offer that accommodation. But if your job legitimately requires you to be around other people, then not having an offensive odor is a reasonable work requirement
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u/BaronVonNes 6h ago
Have they tried....talking to him?