Ask Ash: With a deep breath...

My new colleague is quite charming and a real team player. However, despite this and perhaps due to his busy social life, he has a tendency to neglect his hygiene at times. On a few occasions, he has come into the office somewhat dishevelled, and worst of all with foul smelling breath. I have not said anything but I’m sure that clients are beginning to notice; at a recent meeting, a client did seem to repeatedly turn her face away when my colleague was speaking to her. I’m not sure whether to say something before things get worse.

It seems you have a good rapport with your colleague and you clearly don’t want to hurt his feelings by saying something directly about the issue. However, it may be that he is unaware about how bad the problem is.

Halitosis can often go unnoticed by the source, and your colleague may be genuinely unaware of the potential distress he is causing.

However, it is difficult to predict how your colleague would react if he were told directly about the issue; he may feel insulted or indeed hurt. Therefore it is important to tread carefully.

Perhaps the next time he seems to be suffering from bad breath, you consider having a mint handy for yourself and then offer him one too. You could explain that you tend to have a mint or two before client meetings and that you also double check your appearance, as certain senior partners are particularly strict about fresh breath and general appearance in front of clients. This way you could blame management for being picky.

If your colleague doesn’t take the hint from this more subtle approach, then you may just need to hold in your own breath next time he is around. Good luck!

“Ash” is a solicitor who is willing to answer work-related queries from solicitors and other legal professionals, which can be put to them via the editor. Confidence will be respected and any advice published will be anonymised.

Please note that letters to Ash are not received at the Law Society of Scotland. The Society offers a support service for trainees through its Education, Training & Qualifications team. Email legaleduc@lawscot.org.uk or phone 0131 226 7411 (select option 3).