20-40-60 Etiquette---Blown away?

YOU ASK! WE ANSWER! YOU DECIDE!

By Callie Gordon, Lillie-Beth Brinkman, Helen Ford Wallace

QUESTION: I have a colleague — my boss, actually — who frequently practices bad hygiene. Instead of politely blowing his nose, he actually snorts very loudly. This is a habit of his that occurs multiple times a day, and it affects everyone in his vicinity, because we can all hear it. The sound is revolting to everyone, but we do not know how to confront this. Any suggestions?

CALLIE’S ANSWER: That is tough. Ask him if he is getting sick and offer him some medicine or tissue.

LILLIE-BETH’S ANSWER: I don’t know a good way to tell someone they have bad hygiene habits, especially your boss.

There are all kinds of tips in the etiquette world for how you should properly blow your nose — be quiet if possible, don’t do it at the table, do it in private, wash your hands after you handle the tissue, etc. Also, online there are all kinds of people TYPING IN ALL CAPS (the Internet equivalent of shouting) about people who involve the whole office in their nose-honking because they are so loud. But there isn’t as much about how to confront someone nicely about a problem.