I believe it also has been done with similar results for people of color. That would make sense with the patchouli reference. Could you bring in some Frebreeze and see if that helps? You can do what you can to not overtly smell of fragrance, but I would be pissed if a coworkers extremely sensitive nose caused my employer to change my lifestyle so drastically outside of work. 2. If she tries cornering you and directly accusing you, you just shrug your shoulders confused and say you dont know how you can help her solve her problem of the phantom scent. I agree that it seems that this person is harassing or bullying her. The vinegar smell has always washed for me, but I know some people who add 1-2 drops of EO to add some lavender/peppermint scent to it, but that opens the door to other complaints anyways. (And even if she werent, the co-worker is clearly going about this the wrong way!). If you have a colleague who burps or sniffs excessively, the easiest approach is to tell her you find it offensive or unsanitary and, in the case of loud burping, do not consider it humorous. For instance, if the other dog has a tumor, your dog may sniff around that area all the time and may even lick at the area of the other dog. In fact, unless the scent comes from something that uses natural chemicals (most dont) or uses a couple of synthetic chemicals mostly used in paints or plastics, it is physically impossible for her/him to have an allergic reaction to it. I nearly had to go to the ER due to a lady meeting with my boss about Rotary. I am only saying this in the hopes that getting to the bottom of the issue will make it easier to figure out a solution. You could even put a few around the office so it looks like it was an office admin that did it. However, nothing I could do would fix the problem. And if the smell is in your bath towel or sheets, traces of it could be getting on you without you realizing it. That is a very specific smell that many associate with granola hippie types. Good luck! Go stand in the snow for a bit and it will seem so nice and toasty in here when you come back!. She would wear scarves over her mouth all day at work and cough and cry about how bad I smelled. Ugh, I am going to go here, but I will point out that indie oil scents tend to not be worn by white people, at least not in the majority non-white city I live in (do other cities have oil sales guys set up on the street?). First of all, if there REALLY is a smell, even a very faint one, that shes making a big deal about it, you have shown her that you are and have dealt with it and now the matter is settled. :). Note that the issue is addressed in a business by in this case, the sniffer's manager, to the sniffer. ), move her desk, something. I want to clarify that my But I agree that patchouli is one.of.those.smells. line meant that most will either love it or hate it as evidenced by our two opinions here. Im also all for respecting that people respond differently to things so I hope this isnt just me going off my own instincts, but I think banning wearing perfume and colognes in the workplace is acceptable in a way that banning lotion and dryer sheets and bodywash at home just is not. The first day I used it, I almost retched in the shower. ! the coworker is trying to make some kind of mean-spirited point. Fine. Here are 5 Ways to Stop Your Colleagues Interrupting You at Work. 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. Um no. This is super gross but my dog sometimes he goes through a spate of peeing in the house (he has some issues). You have a meeting. Thats where my confusion is too. I had my last root beer float at age 9 or so, and I will never eat another one as long as I live. If this were me, I would tell coworker Ive done what I can and she can take it to the boss or HR if she feels more should be done. Complaints may be about your work performance or personality. I know were not supposed to criticize OPs, but come on. Natural stuff and the high end perfumes dont seem to cause the same reactions, unless Im already in the middle of a reaction chain. Even the most proper person has burped and sniffed on occasion; because these are common bodily functions, it's impossible to completely avoid doing them. Most people are more than willing to do reasonable things for their coworkers comfort, but it sounds like the OPs coworker is the type thats totally unreasonable. Misophonia is a neurophysiological disorder in which sufferers face an aversive reaction to otherwise normal sounds and (visual) stimuli. Im pretty sensitive to smells (my husband says Im part bloodhound; I just say that Im allergic to everything), and my husband, back when we were dating, used the most foul-smelling (to me) soaps and laundry detergent. Both conditions could be well managed with conservative therapies, such as nasal steroids, antihistamines, or decongestants. I never smelled when she needed a ride anywhere or we werent in the office. If your coworker continues the comments after these conversations, then at that point, say this: Clearly this isnt something we can resolve on our own. There might be something in the building that nobody is aware of. Exactly this is someone whos enjoying her petty little power trip and bending OP to their will, is how its coming off to me. Here we go 1. Its too bad because it is important not to question people about things like allergies, but as soon as somebody realizes nobodys allowed to do so..also I think its worse with smells because telling somebody they smell is a very personal, emotional thing So if someone realizes they can get at someone like that, while covering it up with oh, my allergies! then its going to happen. ! I apologized for using my lotion and took it home. Ive done X, Y, and Z. And I feel you pain. Asking a coworker to switch soaps is ridiculous. Honestly, next time she snarks about patchouli, Id literally laugh in her face, like Seriously? Its kind of sad that management isnt reprimanding her behavior. REAL CUNT indeed. I also switch my perfume up pretty often, so its not like I have one scent that Im repeating every day. For those who like it and for whom it is normal it is fine. But definitely talk to your manager about moving spaces. We havent had any disagreements about politics, pop culture or anything to make her suddenly dislike me. That last bit of your post is the trouble I always have with scent-free initiatives. Should we talk to the manager or HR about that? Its super easy to become immune to a constant smell. It's much like giving small children a new toy to play. The friend I was travelling with very kindly loaned me a clean T-short and knickers, which did not end well. Have someone independently walk in and see what they smell where. It's driving me crazy trying to get to sleep and I'm beginning to think it's more of ahabitual thing rather than medical. Several people wrote in to say that . If so, that means that in the co-workers mind, the OP is trying to get away with wearing stuff that shes promised to stop wearing, which would explain her being shirty about it. I dont like patchouli. If the goal was to get me to move to another desk that would be a great way to accomplish it! Totally agreed, Im fine with not wearing perfume to work, and not using smelly lotions, and I could totally be on board with unscented detergent, but Im not going to change my shampoo or my body wash or stop taking bubble baths when Im outside of work. This is so timely! He doesnt wear cologne, and keeps up his hygiene (and doesnt use mothballs). I share a house with my mother; she uses fabric softener and her preferred detergent. If youve been sniffling for weeks or months, you can rule out a cold, Dr. Reisman says. Is it possible the smell is in your sheets or towels? And I try to laugh and/or dismiss the topic as quickly as possible so we can get on with life and so that my health issue (which can be all consuming to me) doesnt become all consuming for them. Sorry, I might sound rude but I personally think all offices should have a no parfume/no strong aftershave rule because although the wearer of a parfume may love the way it smells, odds are NO ONE ELSE does. very invasive advice). I so rarely tell anyone if their perfume or whatever bothers me (especially since it is often some other product that it scentedpeople who use scented detergents can smell really strongly to me) because it seems so loaded. The other coworker who was complained about took an internal transfer. 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. Colleagues If you have a colleague who burps or sniffs excessively, the easiest approach is to tell her you find it offensive or unsanitary and, in the case of loud burping, do not consider it humorous. People tend not to. 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. Both me and the coworker are white, thank goodness. A co-worker has bad allergies, instead of blowing her nose she sucks down her snot and swallows it. Ideally, purchase some high-quality noise-canceling earphones and leave your desk. Luckily for the me vs. scent sensitivity problem a lot of added fragrances give me issues as well so generally you cannot smell any of my stuff unless youre WAY up in my personal space. Focus on her behavior rather than any more placating action on your part. Cant remember what it was, maybe its something I still wear and have just gotten used to it. I get mild to moderate headaches.. it sucks but theyre survivable. Getting a scent out of a car seat isnt exactly an easy venture. Wear what you will, but please know that you are not keeping the smell away from coworkers. Its also possible to have the upholstery and carpet in your office carrying the scent and be unaware of it. I dont have anything new/useful to add, but it sounds like youve gone above and beyond to accommodate your coworker. Spray a lot and youll probably go, Nooooooo! because Tom Ford is absolutely a 1-1.5 spritz perfume (I say that as someone who ownsat least five TF fragrances) and if youre into Sephora there are rumblings of a VIBR/VIB/BI sale coming up starting the 18th. It's easy to fix. . I expected him to accommodate my scent-aversion because I lived with him! Here are 11 signs you're dealing with a toxic coworker. Smelling those faintly on other people is a fact of life; theyre very commonly used products. I also think that the OP should go to HR and let them know what has been going on. Calmly and professionally call out the patronizing person without making a scene or being dramatic by pointedly yet politely saying, "Gee, that comment sounded a bit condescending to me. If I was told to not ever use it again in my personal life because it was bothering someone at work, Id be mighty peeved off. Youre talking about general, being-in-the-world sounds and scents. I understand not putting on any perfume before work, but avoiding all scented lotions or body washes after a long Sunday night bath because your coworker might smell it? If OP regularly wore scents, it is possible the scent is there and she is noseblind to it. You have a slimy feeling after talking with them. 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. If things don't improve, tell your boss that things haven't improved. Get queasy even smelling it/seeing the bottle. Therefore, I only bring it up to people if I cant avoid the person and just deal with it because I feel that I shouldnt dictate how others live their own lives. Its possible the smell is lingering somewhere else or has another cause (from your handbag, or its actually the smell of your car air freshener, or something other than the original perfume). But, it might be that your area is still retaining some of the scents you were wearing previously. Laundering work clothes in unscented detergent is reasonable. I also dislike the smell of lavender altogether. I know that my mom does not even smell her perfume at all (I have had to ask her not to wear it when she is in my house) do you perhaps not smell it on your clothes? From what Ive read, it seems that if this happened to me I would have to spend several hundred dollars replacing every toiletry and all laundering supplies in my home, wash everything I own multiple times and most likely get all coats and heavy fabrics dry cleaned, and even THEN the coworker may still not be happy with my potential scent. Thank you! Its tough to diagnose on your own, Dr. Reisman says. Im not altering a huge chunk of my life because someone doesnt like how I smell. Instead they want to continue chatting or working. I even bought new clothes. Or, you could treat it like other medical accommodations, and look to HR for guidance on how to make things work. and although I can never smell my hair, someone will occasionally mention how good my hair smells, especially if my hair comes in contact with rain or is wet for some other reason. Re: Constant phlegm / snorting problem - please help. Is she hassling the other people in your office? update: how can I turn down training requests from my clients? Norovirus and egg drop soup, which is a crying shame because I used to love it, and until that experience it was my go-to soup when I was sick (cheap, easy take out, semi-nutritious). It may not register with me that Im smelling something, but if Im in a good mood and start getting irritable for no apparent reason, I usually think about the smells around me to identify the culprit. My husband is quite sensitive to smell and he uses it so I thought it would be okay. incense? ;). The more sensitive people end up so isolated. Instead, shes making an ass of herself. Outside of behavioural therapy, I dont know how this could be fixed other than moving the coworkers desk away from the LWs. And it smelled *horrible* and wouldnt come out; I tried vinegar and Oxi-clean after about five washes and that seemed to help. 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