USA19 September, 20263 min read
Chris Smalls Fired 2.5 Hours Into New Job After Temp Agency Cites Hygiene Issues
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Chris Smalls fired 2.5 hours into first day citing hygiene issues via temp agency. Unemployed for about nine months before securing the role.
Fired in 2.5 Hours
A New York man identified by the New York Post as 35-year-old Chris Smalls says his new job lasted just 2.5 hours after a temp agency told him he was being let go over alleged “hygiene issues.” Smalls said he had been unemployed for about nine months before securing the corporate role through a temp agency, and he told reporters he showered the night before and wore a brand-new polo shirt. He described the first hours as going smoothly after a supervisor showed him around the office and another employee took over his training around 10am, before the temp agency called as he was leaving the building.
In his account, the agency said the assignment was being terminated due to “hygiene issues,” but neither the company nor his supervisor explained what the alleged problem was. Smalls said he was stunned by the explanation and wrote, “I honestly don’t know,” adding that he received no closure.
Reddit Theories, No Closure
Smalls shared his experience in a post on Reddit’s r/BoyDinnerDiaries, where the story prompted competing theories about what happened during his brief time at the workplace.
In Hindustan Times’ account, Smalls said, “I was let go from my new job after 2.5hrs,” and he pointed to the lack of a specific explanation as the part that troubled him most.
He told the New York Post that the staffing agency representative who informed him of the dismissal also appeared uncertain about what exactly had happened, and he said she asked what he had been wearing but did not tell him what aspect of his hygiene had allegedly caused concern.
Smalls said he asked friends to check whether he had any noticeable odour and they told him they could not detect one, while he wondered whether an ordinary action like scratching his nose or burping could have been misinterpreted.
In News18’s reporting of his Reddit post, one user wrote, “I’m so sorry op. This would make me paranoid as hell and super self-conscious,” while another commented, “Why make up hygiene issues, though? That’s mean as hell.”
Job Search Fallout
Smalls said the experience was especially difficult because he had spent months trying to find employment and had already exhausted his unemployment benefits before the temp agency secured the role. In the Times of India’s account, he said he had not been offered another assignment by the staffing agency and said he had not yet been paid for the short period he worked. Gulf News reported that as of the latest reports, the company had not publicly explained the specific hygiene concern, leaving the circumstances of his extremely brief employment unclear.
Hindustan Times also said Smalls rejected the reason for his dismissal, writing that his clothes “did not stink,” and it reported that two friends independently confirmed he did not suffer from any obvious hygiene issues. The Mary Sue described his situation as ending before lunch, saying the temp agency called while he was leaving the building and told him he had been let go over alleged “hygiene issues,” with neither the company nor his supervisor explaining what that meant.