Re: Interview from hell -- question

[Rebecca Merck <Rebecca -dot- Merck -at- ONESOFT -dot- COM>]

This all began with the account of a person who was applying for a job,
presenting for interview with unacceptable hygiene habits.

Here's my question:  How do you handle a situation with a person with
unacceptable hygiene?  Not based on a disability or other issue, but just
someone who won't bathe and change clothes daily?

Can such a person DEMAND to be hired BECAUSE they can claim discrimination
because gee golly they don't feel like taking a bath?

Do we as employers have a right to expect that people meet certain standards
of behavior?  That they answer the phone politely, arrive to work clean,
don't pass gas while they're standing at a coworker's desk?

I would certainly hope that we have a right somewhere to say that hiring
someone who chooses to be on the borderline of social acceptability is not
mandated, and that we CAN reasonably turn away people who will be disruptive
to the workplace because of it.

I've been through this.  It was a nightmare.  In your head, try to explain
to someone who doesn't understand it why it's important to bathe regularly,
change clothes, WASH clothes, and not pick at blemishes, noses, ears at
another employee's desk, not to sneeze on another employee while working at
a computer together, not to "target burp" other employees.  Without dying of
mortification long before they get the point.

It's a conversation I don't think we are obligated to have -- I think this
should go without saying in a professional office environment.

And I think it's arguable that if this is the level of attention to detail
they give to their appearance in an interview, it's perfectly reasonable to
question their level of attention to detail in their work, as well.   I
really don't think that's unreasonable, or discriminatory.

Now I'll go get under my asbestos desk.

 From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=