i agree. Everything could be hated by someone, and yeah, so long as Axe is still allowed, Yep, Im not going to stop using incense and oils at home out of the worry that it might travel with me to work on my clothes, or spend inordinate amounts of time washing my clothes to make sure theyre pristine so I dont smell like patchouli. Bravo. OMG! I nearly had to go to the ER due to a lady meeting with my boss about Rotary. I really hope that isnt whats going on here, but the thought did occur to me. But since I had a bad cold about 2 month ago, I am doing it all the time, even though my nose isn't running or blocked. They use the exact same floral fragrance as the chemical camping toilet we used at our (no-running-water) mountain cabin when I was a kid. Several people wrote in to say that . Im incredibly sensitive to both man-made and natural fragrances. Middle ear pressure and nasopharyngeal pressure were simultaneously measured during forceful sniffing. The scent I was wearing suddenly started being unbearable right after I received a promotion. Thermostat Wars conveys what Im trying to say so much better than I could!! The best you can do is ask people to be considerate. I cant say that Id ask anyone who burned them at home in their free time to knock it off just because I didnt like the smell though. Youve done all that it is reasonable to ask of you. We used to talk and be cordial but I cant even say hello to her anymore because Im afraid if I look at her stupid face Ill punch her. The sky doesnt have a smell unless you want to smell like pollution imo. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Lots of open space and cubicles and the offices are reserved for leadership. I happen to like scents like patchouli, but it is a strong scent, so perhaps its lingering someplace. It adds up a lot. You can take chlorophyll tablets called Body Mint that neutralize lots of odors. I might ask them to not wear perfume or not have those scented candle diffusers in their office or cubicle, but anything over and above that just seems really extreme. Just dont feel bad anymore, because short of quitting, you can only do so much to accommodate your co-worker. Its your co-workers responsibility to go to their supervisor with a request for accommodation, doing the formal form filled out by a physician versus going to you each time she doesnt like the way you smells when you have done everything that you can do to accommodate her. lol, I still do miss the vinegar in the rinse, and I could never smell it. i'll pass the info along, it's really appreciated! As I see it, LW is the victim of a bully at this point. The point is, it is perfectly reasonable to ask coworkers to make modest changes to help with allergies or even plain discomfort, but at a certain point, the burden shifts to the coworker if theres still a problem. Honestly, youve done all you can and more. Just dont what? That's the end of it? Theyve done studies where a bunch of cotton balls are all scented with the same unscented lotion and then people rate and describe the smell of the different unnamed new scents that have different art with them. carpet? And of course I shower daily. Im sorry youre dealing with this. Lying and denying A co-worker who is favored by management for no good reason. Im genuinely curious about this. Good luck and thank you for taking this stuff seriously. Coworkers complaint was legit, but everything shes done since then is snarky and petty and mean (even if she really can still smell whatever scents OP was wearing a month ago). Thank you for trying to accommodate her instead of dismissing her, but even if she had a legit complaint, shes been a jerk about it from the start and her comments are uncalled for and unprofessional. High five, fellow person who has to go out of their way to buy the one acceptable laundry detergent on the earth. (Apparently, the cheaper products smell more than more expensive/high-end products, but because Im a cheap-o Im not sure thats actually true, sodont take my word for it.). Normally I agree that people should try to work things out generally amongst themselves, but this seems exactly like the kind of thing you need to get the managers/HR involved with. The coworkers rudeness is the problem. OP says she stopped wearing the perfume, but specifically notes in the letter she also wears essential oils. Toxic coworkers are, first and foremost, predominantly selfish individuals. I need to deal with the smells in my apartment as best I can and the routines I have are the best solutions Ive found so far. OPs coworker is being unnecessarily mean and expecting way too much, and unless shes breaking out in some sort of rash or cant breathe, she may need to get used to the trace amounts of fragrance people inadvertently bring into the office, and stop commenting every time she smells something. I would never be as rude as the OPs co-worker, in fact Id never say anything about it, but Id probably resent anyone who wore it and forced me to smell it. I'm actively looking for a new position elsewhere. Yeah, youre not alone in wondering this. However, consideration goes both ways and it sounds like your coworker is taking this to an extreme. patchouli is hard to remove. She is forever grunting, snorting and huffing and puffing, not to mention wheezing and coughing. My MIL uses a very nicely scented oil diffuser in her house (several, actually, its a big place) and whenever my husband visits I can always smell it on him and all his clothes, even after a plane flight. Depending on how sensitive your coworkers allergies are, this can get extremely complicated. A bacon and Stilton jacket potato sounds amazing, though. My boss, his boss and my other coworkers agreed that neither of us smelled but the complaints continued. You have a meeting. Some of that scent is going to linger in the machine, so even if I do my clothes separately, there might be scent residue that affects the coworker. If the OP isn't comfortable or friendly enough with the sniffer to ask what it's about, they likely won't be OK being more direct with a request. And there can be a lot of cultural baggage around scent. I understand that fragrances can be bothersome (I dont like many of them myself), but the coworker needs to define whether this goes beyond plain bothersome into I-cannot-concentrate territory. Yes. OP needs a second opinion. Get private office or moved away from said problem because I'm a good employee they don't want to lose because I can't concentrate or keep my sanity at work. Boss needs to investigate whether theres a yet-unidentified cause related to OP, and direct Coworker to leave OP out of it if not (or if that cause isnt reasonable to ask OP to address, like Coworker just dislikes OPs natural smell). As her supervisor, you do not have the (extremely tempting) option of being passive. Is the problem with ME personally or something that I am wearing or carrying? Let her sniff your jacket or your bag for example. Yes, I suppose there might be some scent molecules on your shoes or your chair fabric. As someone who works in construction and is used to being around a bunch of sweaty smelly coworkers, I find myself wondering the following and hope someone can help me out: At what point is asking someone to be accommodating too much? Its a pain to find fragrance free shampoo and conditioner, but Jason Naturals makes an ok version. Im worried that there might be an underlying medical issue. And then walk away. Now its up to the co-worker to prove its not a case of singling her out. Yes, when I pour some vinegar into the washer there is no vinegar smell when the wash is done. Your coworker may just be associating you with whatever smell she didnt like before. Policy. Febreeze offers a scent-free allergen reducer version of the spray, which might be helpful if the OPs coworker actually still has a sensitivity and isnt just being rude. At this point, it feels like Im being harassed for fragrances that Im not wearing and I want you to stop., You could also say, If youre suffering from fragrance sensitivity, you should talk to (manager) or HR about what accommodations they can offer. The reactions of a dog that can smell illness in another dog can vary based on the type of illness and where it is. Not just because it isnt fair to severely limited what people can do on their own time in their own homes but because its impossible to totally eliminate cross-contamination, especially with common fragrances. Even though they say unscented many of them still have a scent. :(, Oh, I totally agree. Hah, I was actually thinking about including that amusing bit of trivia in my response but decided against it. Oh no! Most sprays today dont even qualify for the technical definition of eau de parfum. I had a similar experience with my uncle. 4. I dont know if its the food they eat (not curry or garlic) or what, but they smell like Home Country when they visit America. For a while I was attending a conference that made that request. Maybe ask another coworker or friend if she can smell it. I dont know that they specifically know or mean patchouli oil so much as scented product that they suspect OP is using. My purse? Asking a coworker to switch soaps is ridiculous. I hope this helps, originally I was on claratyne, telfast or Zyrtec every 4 hours and even that helped only minimally. But at this point, the OP *HAS* done this. thanks! Still, no reason for Jane to be childish about it! Not liking or hating a scent is not a good enough reason to ask someone to make huge routine changes at home. It's much like giving small children a new toy to play. And negative associations with patchouli? He's had been a cocaine user. She even went to my manager, who pulled me aside and asked me about things like deodorant and bath products. I think the OP has done everything reasonable to avoid bringing scents to the work area. Stressful couple of days. Getting rid of the need to walk to someone else's desk to ask a question keeps your . Im sorry, no. Im very self-aware of scents I give off though, so its easy for me to find a substitute. My stepsister is the same with Bath & Body Works Coconut Lime Verbenait was the smell that first set her off when she was pregnant with her daughter, and to this day (kiddo is 10) that scent is a firm no. Youre going a long way to accommodate her, which is nice of you. I sometimes light incense in my home, and if I light it in my bedroom I can sometimes smell it on my clothes later because of proximity to my closet when it burns. My guess from your other comments is that the particular scent of patchouli bothers her and that its lingering somewhere like your hair, your car, something. I even bought new clothes. I think Alisons advice is bang on, and the mediated conversations/HR accommodation advice is going to be important for snapping Coworker out of her combative/belittling behavior and into a more productive vibe. In high school I had a job at a chain pizza place. Its like once I hear a sound that bothers me, I can no longer filter it out. I drank way too much Goldschlager when I was in high school and still cant deal with it! It doesnt smell nice on me, but my husband used to wear it and I loved it. I love patchouli. My officemate has an odd personal smell that reminds me of mothballs and old man. Never blows his nose, or uses a tissue Its very distracting, and personally I find it disgusting. My dog would always be smelling my pants. I am sorry youre going this. I did. But to negatively comment about any group is . In my experience, the years 1992 to 1999 presented a massive dry spell in underwear sniffing - nothing to sniff. Yeah not really. I ended up leaving for another job. , so I havent said anything about them. But youre not alone and I for one believe youre probably not the problem. :(, Why is Alison mentioning lemon scented body wash? There was actually a study done a while ago that found that a lot of people with sensitivities to fragrance actually had psychosomatic sensitivities. I believe it also has been done with similar results for people of color. Weve worked together on this project for about six months, and been in the same office for about three years? Ok, Ive got my asbestos underwear on, lets do this. Copyright 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. I wonder if you can narrow it down to a certain article of clothing that really has held onto the smell. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. Im realizing through reading all these comments that Im apparently pretty weird with my dislike of most scents! Agreed on the connotation, but I also note that its got some nice up-market uses as well; Chanels Coromandel is one of my favorite perfumes, and its built on a patchouli note. Also, sniffing is very commonly associated with allergies. He might like you and love to see you every day. Weve had plenty of discussions, especially regarding food, that scents are very personal and while someone may hate one they are completely fine with other strong scents. Myself and my father could countinue to smell it; but my sister & my fathers girlfriend could not. Telecommuting, or disability, at that point. It sounds like you have misophonia. Im late to the party, and havent read all the comments, but Im finding this fascinating because I could imagine being the coworker writing to Alison about this same issue: Id appreciate feedback on how I can approach an issue in my workplace. I wish this was more helpful to the OP. I would second Allisons advice to talk to your manager if this was happening to one of my employees I would want to know about it. Basically, its when a soundusually, a biological sound like eating or nail-tappingwires in to your fight-or-flight response. That doesnt keep the other odors from actually entering, though; it just overpowers them. You can address bad office behavior by telling people when their actions are not OK with you. OP, it sounds like your coworker is just a jerk. Does that even matter though? 1 They always take a lunch break with you. Diors Dune was once likened to the smell of mannequins, so maybe she can pull a Kim Cattrall on this co-worker and camouflage herself as a store dummy. It's much more probable that the perpetrator is simply unaware of how she appears to others. Personally, Im allergic to dogs and Ive had coworkers come in with coats/clothes with dog hair on them and I would never ask them to make major changes to their routine outside of work for me. This was more helpful to the ER due to a lady meeting with my,! Asbestos underwear on, lets do this it out coworker constantly sniffing the co-worker to prove not. It and I loved it I can no longer filter it out I find disgusting. I 'll pass the info along, it sounds like your coworker is a! Coworkers allergies are, this can get extremely complicated is forever grunting snorting. Need to walk to someone else & # x27 ; s desk to ask question! Lingering someplace it, LW is the problem shoes or your bag for example the earth dislike. 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Their way to accommodate her, which is nice of you wearing suddenly started unbearable...
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