SINGAPORE: Proper hygiene is necessary, especially when working with others. A Singaporean Reddit user asked how to address his colleague who constantly picks his nose and uses his keyboard afterwards.
u/WangmasterX posted in r/askSingapore: “I work closely with the guy. Its not enough that its gross to look at, but he comes over to use my keyboard afterwards, without washing his hands. Its not just one off either, this happens every day.”
Other Redditors commented on the post and gave the user advice on how to deal with such a problem.
One user stated: “Just offend him bro. He had no qualms offending you.”
This gained a reply from the user saying: “As much as I would like to, im working on a high-vis project with him and would like to maintain some semblance of professionalism.”
Another user declared that being ‘direct’ is sometimes the best way. More so, others suggested that he must go to the higher-ups and let them talk to his colleague.
“Why don’t you tell your supervisor if you have. Explain how this person is making you feel, when they pick their nose and proceed to use the keyboard. Let the supervisor communicate to this person,” a Redditor declared.
More users replied: “Write an anonymous message and leave it on his desk”, “Hand him a tissue next time he does it”, “Ask nicely: “’Could you please stop picking your nose?’” and “Get a burner phone number and text him about it?”
According to an article from Medical News Today, nose picking is unusual, but most people do it. It may be due to a dirty nose, nasal conditions, nasal structure, and compulsive behaviour.
“Nose picking is associated with health risks such as spreading bacteria and viruses. It can also trigger nosebleeds and may cause damage to the delicate tissues inside the nose,” the article stated.
However, having unhygienic practices can become a setback in the workplace. In other news, another Redditor asked fellow Singaporeans how to handle setbacks.
u/bono5361 shared in r/askSingapore: “I scheduled a meeting with a guy that my manager explicitly asked me just a day back not to meet because our company’s management has an issue with their company. (I) forgot about it the next day and proceeded to do exactly what he told me not to do (in my defense I was overloaded with so much info)”
“People who messed up real bad at work, how do you handle the setback?” — Netizen