Talk about getting off topic . If things don't improve, tell your boss that things haven't improved. They were everywhere. The funny thing is my mom uses patchouli, so I associate that particular scent with mom-ly ladies. I dont have anything new/useful to add, but it sounds like youve gone above and beyond to accommodate your coworker. Im quite certain that nobody else around her is making this much of an effort to be scent-free. We ended up deciding to go scent free office because both of them was sensitive to different things. Colds typically go away on their own after about a week. Is there something else youre hoping Ill try? 10% off Management Today's Leadership Learning programme. I feel like this thread could be about my brother once he gets an office job. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it's so bad my family says something to me. I doits with very specific chewing noises (luckily not allI know some people with this who cant go anywhere people are eating). She used to cry to me about how she is single and she even said to me once what is wrong with me? Love the Smelly LW title! They dont have added scent, but a lot of chemicals smell. A lot of times they put them on 12 hours ago for a night out and arent planning on taking a shower until after work the next day. Im mostly fine with Irish Spring soap, which has a pretty heavy fragrance that makes me sneeze occasionally, but when I ran out recently and had to use a bar of a more lightly-scented soap that was supposed to be good for sensitive skin, I started breaking out in hives. The jerkness indicator that leaps out at me is that she is still fixated on patchouli, which is a pretty distinctive smell. I'll be studying in one room with the door shut and can still hear him sniffling in the other room. Theyve been here since February and they still smell the same I wonder what it is! She requested I be moved. I think the OP has already gone above and beyond, but it wouldnt be a bad idea to dot the remaining is and cross the remaining ts (air fresheners at home, in public restrooms, or in the car, dryer sheets, etc. Indicate gently, very gently, why it's a problem. Ah well. LW has gone above and beyond to accommodate this. Lots of white person wearing patchouli-ish smells in my city. yup, havent eaten bananas since I was about 5. I have a friend who wears it, and he hugged me once while I was wearing a coat. 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? If her scent doesnt bother you then maybe you can try it out and if you dont mind it, then theres no way for her to complain. I dont even own any alcohol-based spray-type perfumes, just oils and solid perfumes, and I still refer to them all as just perfume, so I think thats what OP meant. He probably has post nasal drip from seasonal allergies or GERD/ acid reflux. Ive stopped wearing perfume, have switched to unscented deodorant, and I wash my clothes in unscented detergent. This only hit home for me because it was related to scent sensitivities, and this issue just happened to me today. Most people have told me that they cant smell my scents at all, unless theyre like actively sticking their nose in the crook of my elbow or something. Don't Lose Your Cool. Are the other coworkers having this issue with the coworker too? Alison gave you the next steps so go from there. She is being a jerk. :D. I was wondering the same thing- Im sure LW isnt the only person in that office who uses scented products. Im not sure the OP really can win with this co-worker.. Usually trying to clear the flood and congestion by blowing my nose is like trying to slam a logjam through the eye of a needle. Is it possible the smell is in your sheets or towels? I kind of had the same thought because in my city theres definitely a racial correlation. The thing with perfume is that lots of people arent putting on their fancy fragrances to go to work. I dont wear anything scented. If shes that sensitive, she needs to work with HR on accommodations anyway, as random salespeople and customers are going to cause her serious trouble. As such, burping and sniffing are not likely listed in your handbook. (I mean, other than the usual feedback from my manager.) I think its like color blindness, there must be a receptor that some people have that make them aware of something in the patchouli/patchouli type scents and the wearers arent actually able to detect the same scents. Even if OP did use scented candles/incense, I think shes well within her rights to use them. They should only be sniffing when you give them their release word (like "Break" or "Ok"). 1. yeah, the patchouli AGAIN? comment is what makes me think rude coworker over coworker with scent sensitivities. It used to be a magical odor-disappearing spray! Assume the best of your coworker. It provides non-invasive noise and pleasurable feelings, to effectively neutralise the unconscious attention system's ability to distract us. At this point, Im starting to feel like youre just looking for an excuse to complain about me. as a manager, should I not wear a childless shirt in my off-hours? Im chemically sensitive to cheap perfumes, something in the inexpensive stuff triggers asthma and migraines. And I was laughed at. And there can be a lot of cultural baggage around scent. Id be pretty miffed if I had to stop using things in my personal life. Primary care is a good place to start. Yes, this. We have placed a box of tissues on her desk, they are unused. A bacon and Stilton jacket potato sounds amazing, though. I remember wanting to scoop my eyeballs out in classes or long, multi-hour exams with chronic snifflers, even though I have a chronic low-grade sinus infection Ive struggled to treat my entire life. Or florals or vanilla or whatever. I had another friend that said they also became scent-sensitive when they were having chemo. I had to take it to the cleaners to get that smell. Honestly, the answer is probably telecommuting. The office could have other environmental factors that are actually causing coworkers issues- like dirt in carpets or something. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Oh well then.if she just doesnt like it, thats just too bad. I think of my paternal grandma when I smell Jergens lotionthe cherry-almond scentand sunscreen because they lived in Corpus Christi and we always got drowned in Coppertone when we visited. Take AAMs suggestions to speak to Manager or to take it to HR and see what kind of reaction you get. Its really hard not to come across as rude. I cannot imagine going to work everyday without perfume on. Because burping and sniffing are minor offenses, the employee will likely receive a minor form of discipline, such as verbal warning. This is why Im scared to take up perfume, for fear of being 80 and having a personal cloud of smell. Policy. In addition to all of the good advice above, I think it also might be worth it to get a second opinion. But the world is literally full of smells. Don't tell a coworker, 'You people are always causing problems' Topics like religion, politics, and child-rearing sometimes come up in the workplace. Hopefully she can get her coworker to stop! And if the smell is in your bath towel or sheets, traces of it could be getting on you without you realizing it. 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. B: Acknowledging that something is a bad thing. By using this Site you agree to the following, By using this Site you agree to the following. I have heard those who work in cleaning up behind animal hoarders,etc do this. if there is a sensitivity at play here, it should be on the workplace to figure out an accommodation for the affected employeenot for OP to try even harder to obliterate every aromatic molecule from her clothes/jackets/chairs/PORES(?!!?? Im not sure what else I can do. 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. Your nose is a faucet, and there's no way to turn it off. Although such handbooks often outline appropriate and inappropriate behavior, it's common knowledge that a bodily function such as loud burping is inappropriate. I suppose its possible but we have zero information from the letter to indicate race. Your coworkers shoot you irritated looks as you clear your throat (again). If a coworker takes your idea and uses it as though they came up with it, without . incense? Im thinking the co-worker is using the term patchouli as an insult, catch-all term to encompass all hippie-ish smells (patchouli, sandalwood, desert sage, etc) of the type that might be sold at with other natural oils. I think the LWs coworker is bullying her and LW should respond accordingly. Frankly I am sick of it. Also, my perfumes are kept in a closed cedar box that is separate from both my closet and my dresser. I doubt shes likely to react well to someone suggesting this possibility. Its also possible to have the upholstery and carpet in your office carrying the scent and be unaware of it. If I were OP, Id be tempted to say, Patchouli? putting an end to your runny nose. Is the problem with ME personally or something that I am wearing or carrying? Let her sniff your jacket or your bag for example. 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). So why wasnt the smell bothering the coworker before that? Or, if OP isnt the type to be cold at work, perhaps a fan set on low that could blow the scented air away from the coworker? Which also reinforces my belief that your coworker can go walk off a pier. Humidifier helped me, enormously with my constant sniffling!!! or you can try a passive aggressive tactic: Use fart spray for a few days then stop. This requires a somewhat herculean effort of open windows, incense, scented candles, oil burners, and oil diffusers, plus regular cleaning of the litter box with high quality litter. Clock out and walk around the block for 15 minutes before I come back to my desk? 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