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I think the request is reasonable, but she should not ask from a place of entitlement but instead as a humble request. You say there’s no way she can smell you, but I’d see no reason she would make the request if she couldn’t. Some people are sensitive to smells. I wonder if there is a different solution like if she couldn’t work further away. Sorry you’re going through this.
It is usually an office rule no perfume no cologne. You think she cant smell it across the room but she probably can. I am very sensitive to smells and I had a coworker once use spray and it sent me home sick with a migraine, I was puking for hours. Your making it a big deal when you should understand. Just use deodorant.
THIS. WHO wears cologne/perfume in the office in the 21st Century? It's a work environment, not a 1970s disco. Save the scents for your personal time.
Some people have severe allergies. I worked on an office where nobody could wear perfume or if somebody was sent flowers from their husband they had to be taken out of the building.
What’s the harm in being kind?
I completely understand your coworker. I am hypertensive to cigarette smoke, perfumes, etc. Currently, I work remotely as a licensed insurance agent.
Correction: ...hypersensitive... 😆
Some people truly have very sensitive allergies. A lot workplaces have something in their handbook about this. You have so many other opportunities to wear perfume, I would just stop wearing it.
We can smell you from across the office believe me. Your olfactory senses have been deadened by the toxic poison you cover yourself in daily. For your own health, please stop. I find perfume is a sign of low energy vibration, low consciousness. I dont know one high consciousness person who wears it.
Good thing it’s virtual 🤣🤣
If you dont stop wearing it out of the own goodness of your heart.. because hon some people have asthma and allergies and lets face it perfume and body spray is never "light". Then best believe next thing you know you get an email and its addressed to the whole company with new rule no smells.
As a migraine sufferer who is triggered by smells, I hope I can help you believe that your coworker is also hyper-sensitive. I wish I could change it as I love beautiful smells like anyone else does, but most perfumes have the same affect on me and there is a sense of panic if I can't get away from it as I know I will most likely trigger into a migraine.
I had a buddy manager in an open floor cubicle setting who sat across from me and she was extremely sensitive to smells. I also knew that she had asthma and she had a sprayer for that. I had another coworker die years ago because she had an attack at work. I had no problem, making sure that I never wore perfume or even really heavily scented hand lotion around her or sanitizer. It wasn’t that she was that sensitive it was that I wanted to be that good of a neighbor.
When you’re in an open setting like that, I’ve worked in call centers enough to know somebody had a mace spray in their purse and they were digging in their purse one day and actually accidentally sprayed that and the whole floor of the call center, probably 350 seats, all had to be cleared out because people were getting so sick of that. It is definitely something to be aware of!
I have severe allergies to fragrances and have had to ask multiple coworkers and even my boss to stop wearing perfumes, colognes, body sprays, dry shampoo, scented lotions, etc. There is never an easy way to do this and when they are asking they probably feel like crap making it difficult to sound “nice” about it. When in public, I will just move to another location when possible. People who wear scents regularly do become desensitized to them and often do not realize how strong they are. So, they apply more and more until their deadened olfactory senses can finally smell it. In the meantime, the rest of us suffocate in register cloud of fragrance. In the interest of this not becoming a hostile work environment, just stop wearing anything scented to the office. As a fellow sufferer, I beg you on their behalf.
It sounds like you made the effort to tone down your perfume. It's unreasonable for a coworker to assume you should change something just for her.
I’ve worked with women who’ve worn sickeningly sweet smelling perfumes/body lotion and it would give me headaches. I would agree to not wearing perfume in the office. Just like when people complain about burnt popcorn or tuna/fish being heated in the microwave. Nobody wants that lingering smell in the office.
Our company bans any perfume, etc. Including air fresheners. Some people have reactions to certain smells.
I am that sensitive person. I can smell perfume a mile away and it always gives me a headache or sneezing attack. I never asked anyone to stop doing anything but someone in my office must have gone to HR because it was basically outlawed in my office years ago.
Some people have allergies, some people are sensitive and then there’s those on the extreme that have asthma. It’s none of your business what she has.
She also said she works “across the office“ – we don’t know how big the office is. She’s never told us but if it’s small, this is absolutely possible.
I’ve been in gyms where a male will get on a machine next to me and I’m practically gagging because they’re cologne smells like they stepped and slipped into the bottle. We’ve all worked with women like this.
Again this may be about somebody requesting a reasonable accommodation. It may be about somebody feeling entitled you’re right , but for me, I had no problem making the change because it was her asthma!
This is exactly why some businesses do not allow any fragrances. A lot of people are extremely sensitive to perfumes, lotions, hairspray. And a lot of hospitals now do not allow perfume and there’s quite a few offices that do not allow it either.
Maybe if she stayed on her side of the office and walked around you, she wouldn’t have the problem. Maybe she can put some potpourri on her desk so she can smell something she likes. Maybe she should try correcting the problem on her end instead of expecting you to stop wearing perfume that only she seems to have a problem with. She seems a bit entitled like you should change instead of her making changes on her end.
BICA 1, she did say she worked across the office, but we have no idea how big the office is. In open areas one spray of something can spread really quickly. We don’t know that she hasn’t already done everything that she could before she talked to the coworker.
Why do you think it has to be an allergic reaction? Again it could be asthma. It could be a number of things.
Quit being so entitled to think that other steps haven’t taken place before this conversation did. 😊
As the recipient of the 2 weirdest allergies on the planet (raspberries - deathly allergic, and Sandalwood oil - instant sneezing to one item in MOST perfumes and colognes) I think your coworker is going about it wrong, but may have a point. I could not walk down aisles where people are drinking raspberry tea. Those who sat next to me were asked to avoid my allergens. Those who would not extend that kindness, I found other paths to my desk and eventually was sent to work remotely. Instead of taking offense and demanding your rights, see if this is a preference or a priority.
I work in an open office environment and yes some of us can smell perfume, body spray, etc across the office. It’s why most places actually frown upon wearing it. Your senses are numbed to it because you’re used to it. Out of kindness I’d nix it and keep the peace (and HR out of it)