Do you know those people who are impeccably dressed, smell nice and are all around good people to work with? Then there are those who constantly come in looking like they spent the night in a blender and begin their day by brushing their teeth in their cubicle, sans toothpaste then pop in a piece of peppermint gum (gum is inappropriate for a professional environment). I don't want to know which one you are, but I hope you are the first option. Unfortunately, there are still those who are the latter. The following list is the Top 6 DOs and DON'Ts of Workplace Health & Hygiene.
This list is compiled based on things I have seen in the workplace. Many of these are common sense from what our mothers taught us since we were young. However, I still see many of these obvious rules being broken.
1.
DO wear cologne or perfume. Have you ever been training someone and they either smell like nothing or like they haven't taken a shower since the invention of the fire. Speaking of fire, some even still smell like their camp out from the previous weekend, which was 3 days ago! This does not mean that you get to skip the shower (see #5). There are a plethora of great smelling colognes and perfumes on the market now. Everyone can find something they like. (Tip: Request a sample and try the scent out for a couple days to see how it smells with your skin chemistry. Scents smell differently on each individual.)
My 3 favorite Men's Colognes currently are
Dolce & Gabana The One,
Viktor Rolf Spicebomb and
Montblanc Legend Intense.
My top 3 Women's Perfumes are
Prada Candy,
Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy and
Dolce & Gabana Light Blue.
2.
DON'T show up to the office or meeting with your hair wet. Guys generally have short hair and it dries before they even get out of the shower but women have to use a blow dryer. Men can style their hair while its still wet and have it look perfectly appropriate by the time they are at the office. This one is directed mostly toward women or men with long hair.
What you THINK you look like.
What you actually look like.
If you are in a rush and have to go to work with wet hair there is one, I repeat, ONE hairstyle you can wear to a professional work environment.
The Bun! Make certain all loose strands are in place with a bit of hairspray and bobby pins and you are good to go. I wouldn't recommend this as an everyday look, but it works on those days when you hit snooze one or five too many times.
3.
DO brush your teeth before you go to work. This should be a no brainer, right? You wake up in the morning and taste dragon breath, YUCK, so the first thing you do is grab your toothbrush and fix this problem. If you don't do this, then you need to start. However, I have seen coworkers bring in their toothbrush and brush their teeth either at their desk or in the bathroom sans toothpaste. Okay, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you brushed first thing in the morning and stopped for breakfast on the way to work so you brought your toothbrush to neutralize the taste of your bacon, egg and cheese bagel. However, NOTHING is going to happen to your breath without toothpaste. Plan ahead and brush in your car before going in to work, bring mints or mouthwash or skip the savory breakfast and grab a healthy smoothie.
*Brushing
after lunch in the restroom (not at your desk) is recommended and not scrutinized, but actually attractive and demonstrates good dental hygiene.
4.
DON'T clip or bite your fingernails at your desk. In fact, don't bite your fingernails ever. Keep your fingers out of your mouth and away from your face. Our hands are a major vector for the spread of diseases such as the common cold. If you don't believe me,
read this article. Save yourself a trip to the doctor and don't bite your nails.
Clipping your fingernails should be done in the privacy of your own home or at a nail salon. Keep your nails trimmed and shaped. We use our hands to do basically everything including expressing emotion. As humans our natural instinct is to pay attention to motion so if you are moving your hands while speaking most people will look towards them. Long or discolored fingernails will be noticed. If you paint your fingernails keep the colors in the nudes, light pinks and creams. There is a tendency to experiment with nail colors, patterns and textures since nail art is trending. Although this nail art is appealing and fun, it's not professional and should therefore be kept out of the workplace.
5.
DO shower daily. Whether you suds up before bed at night or need a nice warm shower to wake yourself up in the
morning, TAKE A SHOWER! There is nothing worse than a terrible smelling
coworker. Have you ever seen someone who STILL had a stamp on their hand from their weekend sporting event or party? This makes me treat them like the Grinch before Christmas. Not only does it show that they haven't showered for days but they don't wash their hands after using the facilities (see #4). A shower is the most basic hygiene and a young professional needs to show they can handle, AT LEAST, the basics. Ladies, this doesn't mean you must or should wash your hair everyday. You can pull your hair up in a bun or shower cap to keep it out of the water. Your hair needs its natural oils to stay nourished and healthy and it's recommended to wash your hair an easy 2-3 times a week.
6.
DO SMILE and ENJOY YOUR DAY! If you are at your job for 40-60 hours a week, enjoy it. That is a long time to be miserable during the week. I once heard that someone didn't get a promotion because they were grumpy and never smiled. This may not have been a good reason to deny someone a promotion they earned, but I feel there may have been an underlying idea behind this statement. Perhaps it's because they didn't get along with their coworkers and made others feel uncomfortable while bringing the entire morale of the office down. Like in any interview, put your best foot forward and remind the company daily why they hired you. Because work is such a big part of our lives, try to make your long days as happy and enjoyable as possible. A happy person is an attractive person. I think this quote sums up my thoughts.
“The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy - it's all that matters.”
―
Audrey Hepburn
-Young Professional
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