Perfume, Headaches and cube work

[KurtNYC]

I have a problem. I'm working for a large comapny and was recently moved to another department. The department is 14 women and me all in one long double sided cube farm. They all seem to wear perfume and a couple of the scents are ones that trigger headaches and nausea in me. Estee Lauder is the usual suspect.

I spoke with HR about this on the first day because the headaches started right away. My HR contact said she would address the issue politically. Two weeks later - nothing seems to have changed.

I'm the new kid here and tempted to just find another job. Every hour here is like torture and heaven forbid I get called into a closed door meeting. Do I have other options?

[Debi]

1. Wear a mask

That ought to get some attention.

Okay, how about one of those desktop air cleaners?

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

2. I am experiencing the same problem at my job ...

I get naseating headaches whenever someone comes to work smelling like they took a swim in the Coco Chanel Sea . Whatever happened to the saying " A little dab will do ya ? "

[Lavender Brown]

5. You shouldn't spray it right on

Just spray the perfume in the air and walk through it so you get a light misting. "Spray, delay, and walk away." :7

[skygazer]

3. I don't know but I sympathise

I'm a woman who absolutely hates all that smelly stuff - it makes me gag. I use softly scented lotions but that overpowering perfume is too much.

What kind of rapport do you have with these women? Would it be possible for you to simply address it directly? Explain that you have a sensitivity and ask if they could tone it down? I suppose that would be hard to do - people being what they are.

I guess speak to HR about it - perhaps get some documentation from a doctor that this is a real issue for you. Good luck.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. I have the same problem with that perfume.

I think that it should be considered a severe health consideration. Suppose you had asthma and this stuff triggered asthma attacks. This needs to be taken more seriously.
You need to go to the Health office EVERY day and lay down for an hour or two, and complain of blinding headaches. Vomit or gag a bit if you can

[otohara]

6. I Feel For You

HR heads are worthless. I once asked for a "reasonable accomodation" under ADA when I was working at evil empire radio corp. The way she reacted was alarming and it all ended up in a law suit.

Perfume makes me sick too... She isn't going to help you.

[KurtNYC]

9. I'm in an extension fo the HR department

which only complicates the politics.

[NewJeffCT]

10. If it is a large corporation...

Shouldn't they have policies in place about uncomfortable working environments? They should at least spring for an air purifier and/or fan for you...

[AlCzervik]

7. Thats awful, it's like you can actually taste the perfume itself

I would go to hr again and see if they can move you, thats not unreasonable.

[Redstone]

8. Ack! Argh! You poor son of a bitch...

(Not said sarcastically; I can't even read a magazine with a perfumed insert, or walk through the perfume section of a department store.)

NOBODY should have to suffer through Perfume Hell. Yech!

Find another job. Save yourself while you still can.

Redstone

[TrogL]

11. Many workplaces ban scents

I'm sensitive to them and we had problems with the janitors and contractors dousing themselves with stinkum. I raised a stink (pun intended) and put a stop to it.

[LynneSin]

12. Have you thought of directly talking to the women

I mean sometimes going to the source will solve the issue. You may find the women to be very accomdation if you just explain that their perfume is making your allegeries go into a haywire!!

[KitchenWitch]

13. I have a funny scent story

A long time ago I dated a young man whose mom was a nurse in a med/surg unit. She also happened to be the single most narcissistic human being I have ever encountered. We went over to her house for dinner one night and she was going on and on about how the hospital had enacted a new policy regarding scents - and that she could no longer wear her Chanel no. 5 to work...I would think as a nurse, the health of her patients would be more important to her than her own personal primping.

[RebelOne]

14. Maybe you could douse your cubicle

with Febreze since it kills odors. I mean, it's worth a try.

[newportdadde]

15. I feel.. your pain.

I use to sit next to one lady who sprayed some type of floral shit during the middle of the day... god it was awful.

Then one day I came home only find out my wife had bought the same nasty stuff... ugh it stunk up the whole office and wtf why during the middle of the day?

14 to 1 women... dont dare bring it up or your a dead man in that department.

[otohara]

16. Kurt, Read These - Give To Your HR Person

YOU'RE NOT ALONE, THERE ARE MANY SITES ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM - DO A GOOGLE SEARCH, PERFUME, WORKPLACE, ALLERGIES -


How Fragrances Can Affect the Body
Fragrances can enter the body through the nose by inhalation, the mouth by ingestion, or the skin by absorption. Fragrance chemicals can affect the lungs, nose, skin, eyes, and brain.

http://allergies.about.com/cs/fragrances/a/aa022299.htm

Developing a "Fragrance Free" Policy

The next step is to come up with a workable policy. The expectations should be reasonable. There should be clear guidelines to handle problems that might arise. There needs to be open dialog between opposing viewpoints. Very often a committee can be formed to discuss this issue and develop fragrance policies in the workplace. Policies from other workplaces can be used as models and altered to fit a business's particular needs.

The policy should include a means for mediating when problems arise. A business is required to make reasonable accommodation for disabilities that effect major life functions under the Americans With Disabilities Act. What is reasonable is often a matter of perspective. A means of mediation helps solve problems before the reach the level of lawsuits. Providing reasonable accommodation and having policies in place are a prudent way of employers protecting themselves again lawsuits.

"Fragrance Free" does not just mean not using perfumes and colognes. Often personal care products cleaning products are just as or even more highly fragranced than perfumes and colognes. Traditionally a high quality perfume was formulated to last 6-8 hours. Laundry products are formulated for the scent to last for days and are even detectable weeks after washing. Rest rooms frequently have "air fresheners" that periodically spray out fragrance. Cleaners also have high levels of fragrance often use to mask other odors. Even trash bags come in scented versions. So an employer must also be aware of the maintenance products used in the workplace.


http://www.ameliaww.com/fpin/WkPol.htm#Devel

THEN THERE'S THIS, BUT WHEN YOU SAY "ADA" MANAGEMENT FREAKS OUT, SO I WOULDN'T USE THIS UNTIL ALL EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE BY COMPANY FIRST

Reasonable Accommodation for Employee Allergies

Q: If one of our employees is allergic to perfume and has requested that we ask the other employees to stop wearing perfume, are we required to do this?

A: An employee with severe allergies may be protected under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), prohibits employers (with 15 or more employees) from discriminating against qualified individuals (people who have the appropriate educational training and experience for the job and who are able to perform the essential job functions, with or without reasonable accommodation) based upon a disability. The ADA requires you to make a reasonable accommodation to enable a disabled employee to perform the essential functions of that job, so long as doing so does not pose an undue hardship to the company.

If the employee's allergies substantially affect a major life activity, then the employee may be covered under the ADA. If he is, then your company may be required to provide him with a reasonable accommodation. The best place to start when deciding how to reasonably accommodate an employee is usually by asking that employee for any suggestions he has.

http://www.thevault.com/nr/newsmain.jsp?nr_page=3&ch_id=402&article_id=6268542&cat_id=1342