A Company Issues "One Shower a Day" Notice Ahead of Summer
"Cleanliness Management Campaign for a Pleasant Work Environment"
"'Thinking You Don't Smell' Is a Misconception... People Just Don't Say Anything"
A company that posted a notice asking employees to "shower at least once a day" ahead of the summer season has become a hot topic. Many online users have responded with empathy, saying things like "Please, let my company do this too," and "This is a notice that should be issued to every company."
On April 24, a post titled "The Management Support Team Issued a One-Shower-a-Day Notice" appeared on the social networking service X (formerly Twitter). The author, identified as A, shared a photo of the notice recently received from the company's management support team, saying, "Since the company is a space where everyone lives together, I'm actually grateful for such a notice."
According to the notice, the company's management support team stated, "It is becoming increasingly important to maintain a pleasant working environment in the office," and announced, "Accordingly, we are launching a company-wide 'Cleanliness Management Campaign for a Pleasant Office Environment.'"
As personal hygiene tips, the notice recommended "showering at least once a day during the summer," "wearing clean clothes and using personal items such as deodorant and wet wipes to maintain freshness," and "wearing breathable clothing at work and shortening the laundry cycle for shirts and other garments."
The notice also emphasized, "Ventilation before starting work and after lunch is essential to create a pleasant environment," and requested employees to "actively use the air conditioner and air purifier." It also stressed the importance of tidying up shared spaces after use to be considerate of the next user. Finally, the management support team reiterated the importance of cleanliness, stating, "Thinking 'there's no way I smell' is a misconception when it comes to cigarette odors, post-exercise sweat, body odors, or the smell of unwashed clothes. People around you just don't say anything."
The majority of online users who saw the post responded with empathy, leaving comments such as "Please, let my company do this too," "This should be a mandatory notice for every company," "Should I pretend it's a mistake and post this notice in my company's group chat?" "The real issue is that the people concerned don't realize it's about them," "How bad must it be for such a notice to be issued?" "The smell of laundry that hasn't dried properly is overwhelming. I seriously consider every day whether I should say something," and "These days, I'm even considering quitting because of the smell from the new hire sitting next to me." However, there were also some negative reactions, such as "This isn't kindergarten, why do we need a notice telling us to wash?" and "What kind of company needs to issue such a notice?"
Meanwhile, according to a past survey conducted by the job portal Incruit of 361 office workers on "workplace image and odors," most respondents said they had experienced unpleasant smells from colleagues at work. Regarding "the most unbearable smell from a colleague of the opposite sex," 38% of female respondents and 33% of male respondents both cited "the smell of cigarette smoke clinging to clothes."
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