Would you want to be told if you had bad breath?

[meriad]

Reason I ask is we have a colleague (C) at work who has quite bad breath. Last night a group of us, including C, were out for drinks when another colleague D (not sure how it came into the conversation) said something about smelly breath at which point C commented that D was the only one in the past five years to mention anything so it couldn't be true.

Now the girl that I share and office with and I figured this is the perfect opportunity to say to C that "actually D is right and you do have a breath problem"

Would you want to know / be told? And if yes do you think that it should come from either myself or my office mate or should we both say something together and back each other up?

Really awkward

[debih]

Very delicate situation!

Yes, I think the best thing is to say something. And I think it should just come from one of you.

[Gal]

Having been in C's shoes many many years ago - yes I'd want to be told. I was told, by one colleague, bless her, not an easy task, and yes I did get upset at the time, but in the long run, it's for the best.

Good luck!

[Aggers]

It's not a very pleasant job to tell a person of their bad breath, but if that person
is a close friend, then it is a kind thing to do - in private, of course.

Sometimes the person having bad breath is quite unaware of it, and will, hopefully,
he grateful for you mentioning it.

[Kaz]

I think perhaps the fact that C was already a bit 'chippy' about the subject when it was raised in that group setting means that he/she is probably already aware there might be a problem If this is the case I'm not sure he/she would take it kindly, so I suppose the issue is whether it is bad enough to potentially offend/upset him/her and cause an awkwardness at work

If it is, then I think it should definitely be on a one-to-one basis rather than two of you tackling him/her, and the person to do it should be the one who gets on with him/her the best.......

Good luck!

[Workingman]

Yes, I would want to know and I would prefer to be told by family or a close friend and in private.

For the person doing the telling I suppose being diplomatic will be the key.