But so what. And it smelled basically like light body sweat. For the most part, he leaves juuuust late enough 4 days out of 5 that it happens either as everyone else is about to leave or has already left, so no one has ever said anything to him about how unpleasant it is. i'll pass the info along, it's really appreciated! Youre not the only one that has had that thought. That said, I do have scented shampoo because there are like 3 on the market that are unscented, most of which I cant afford. The readers have some great ideas. There's no need for you to take it any further. 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. The other coworker who was complained about took an internal transfer. Stop using the lemon-scented body wash for a few days and see if she keeps making the comments. I live in DC and its more black women here. My purse? 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? I agree with you, and I think that so many of the suggestions here were way over the top. and if tissues don't work for someone there are medications and netty pots and SO MANY alternatives to sniffling forever and ever. I happen to like scents like patchouli, but it is a strong scent, so perhaps its lingering someplace. /ramble. 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). Should I just ask to move elsewhere on the floor? Remember that those with hidden agendas are . I was thinking something similar it could be an issue developing with the coworker that they dont even realize is happening yet. Someone in my major (I wasnt in that class) actually got up and punched someone recovering from a particularly long coldI spent the last two years of college avoiding classes with him, especially when he punched some other person for another sound-related reason! I'd excuses myself and if boss asked why I'd say I can't be near someone who sniffles or. For instance, I became a super-smeller when I was pregnant, and lots of things suddenly started to smell vile to me. Either way, the Rooster's passive approach allows them to maintain a level of deniability. It is not a matter of simply not liking something. It's a tell-tale sign that your coworker wants a relationship outside of work. Industrial carpet glue and some wood furniture finishes does it for me. ;). Im reading all the advice here for other potential sources of the smell and Im picturing Gene Hackman in The Conversation, tearing up his apartment looking for a listening device. Heh, I actually really hate the smell of Febreeze myself. I didnt want to go there, but I had that thought too. So I do what I can to not work right next to those coworkers with triggering scents, and ignore the ones that are just annoying or that I just dont like. This should prevent any other smells from entering her nose. I like the good humor and kindness with which youre responding :). I have the sinking feeling that OPs coworker is going to be a classic case of you cant prove a negative. So as far as I can tell, this came out of left field. I would still never buy it or order it in a bar, however. I once worked in a building where there was mould that nobody knew about until they did renovations. Both me and the coworker are white, thank goodness. Whenever I smell it, I always immediately feel a rush of joy and then intense sadness, because my grandma wore that powder and I miss her so intently, and when I smell it my brain immediately registers Grandma, and then has to go through the process of grief again. But at this point, the OP *HAS* done this. You see the salesmen on the metro who wear little vials of oil on these cross-body belts. People smell a certain way. I get it, scent sensitivities are no joke, and I am more than willing to do what I can make the office space as pleasant as possible, but wheres the line on what you can and cant use in your personal life because it might bother someone somewhere if you step out your front door? Doesnt matter, its never clear and I cant stop sniffling. Now its up to the co-worker to prove its not a case of singling her out. The sense of smell is one of our strongest senses & it can cause strong emotions. Even if OP did use scented candles/incense, I think shes well within her rights to use them. Youre right that at this point shes probably already tried most or all of these things it really does sound like the OP is being extremely accommodating! What else can be done? My problem is that this coworker is now complaining constantly about the perfume Im not wearing! She requested I be moved. Hmm, I had no idea. MedHelp is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this Site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. You've been told. Maybe the OP or the manager can talk with the cleaning crew to find out what products they are using to clean the desks, carpets, etc. I still cant eat creme brulee. 2. (Which is why, if I were her coworker, Id be looking for accommodation. But whenever I smell patchouli, I think of my mom many years ago, and its comforting. they may be still carrying your scented oil. I didnt know that about the ice cream thing! And if the comments dont stop, then you can legitimately say that you have cut out all scented products and it hasnt changed anything. First it was people smacking gum, then chewing crunchy foods with their mouth open, and now its almost any audible chewing sounds at all. Because apparently I couldnt resist saying that chicken definitely has at least as much innate flavour as any other meat, just different. Yeah, I was wondering if OP burns incense or something like an essential oil diffuser at home and it sticks to the clothing even after theyre washed. There are other ways to work this outside besides demanding that OP never comes into contact with anything remotely scented. Those are lengths to which I am totally unwilling to go to accommodate someone at work and I feel are things that no one has the right to ask of a coworker. And that smell near OP could be interpreted that way by the co-worker. (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.). I really feel for you. OP, it sounds like your coworker is just a jerk. Single. Ideally, purchase some high-quality noise-canceling earphones and leave your desk. Same with strawberry shortcake and popcorn. Plus I like the scents I have. (I generally do use some sort of rub but if Im lazy thats fine.) They ruin maple ice cream for them? Even in Oakland, until the past 10 years or so, it was really common for Black women to be the predominant group wearing indie oils.. I keep shooting annoyed looks at her but she has yet to pick up the hints. At that point, I think the OP can justifiably say that shes done what she can do, and if further accommodations are needed, the coworker needs to sort that out with their employer, not with OP. I thought the dust may be the cause, but I sniff even when I'm back during the summer in Europe playing golf with no dust around. This feels to me very much like the OP is being singled out. I explained his cologne was overpowering and offered him the elevator while I would take the stairs. Brownie batter? Where a light scented spray of perfume or body mist or even deodorant will fade away throughout the day, patchouli oil is there forever. Have someone independently walk in and see what they smell where. Although her coworker would probably be like your smock smells bad., I, for one, welcome my new sterilization chamber overlords. Its Bully 101 to push and push and push until the victim explodes, and then so and so blew up at me for NO REASONoh, poor me. 1. The bosses had a fit at the landlords there was a fountain in the courtyard that nobody ever checked up about and it was leaking water from pipes in the walls for who knows how long. (Sometimes I feel like a hypochondriac, since I have so many medical conditions, but I swear Im not! If shes complaining about OPs non-smell, and if shes fragrance-sensitive, spraying febreeze is like an act of war. She walked in the room with socks and shoes on and immediately my eyes were watering, my head ached, instantly nauseous. That was me and popcornI worked at the concession counter of a movie theater as a teenager, and it took about five years to lose that powerful aversion to the smell of buttered popcorn. Ditto with my kids shampoo and bubble bath. Ugh. McCoy is a journalism graduate of Ryerson University. Even if there is some light scent hanging around (due to her conditioner or whatever) thats pretty normal. When Im exposed to a trigger, I cant think clearly, I get super irritable, and all I want to do is get away. Its really hard to find an average drug store might have one type of unscented shampoo for babies. I have this problem too. I love shoe sniffing stories, especially when it involves hot girls with stinky shoes. . Thats rough, though I hope you can work it out. BUT youve gone above and beyond. I work in a normal law firm type atmosphere and several employees are rocking strong cologne and perfume that does indeed linger in the air or on my clothes/hair. OP, I think the strongest scent I wear is from my shampoo/conditioner, and theyre as close to unscented as it can get. It looks like you just have someone who just doesnt like your scent. What she doesn't know is that I love to sniff all her friends shoes. OK? I'm 12 I have the same problem it started like a year ago it drives my mam mad I really want to know what's causing it, Im only 14 and I sniff all the fricking time its really annoying and I carnt take it anymore. It doesnt smell anything like pee, but reminds me of the smell all the same. You can couch it as youd think itd be a good idea of someone checked up on him (and gently let him know that the noise is carrying). Agreed. We cannot lock ourselves in a room and stay there because we have to work, get groceries, and do all the things the rest of us have to do. who CANNOT DEAL with the fact that a person doesnt eat cheese. But I think a lot of scent reaction is a sensory overload response rather than an allergic response, so ambient scents will be less disruptive there than an introduced scent, and of course exposure reactions, as were discussing elsewhere, become hard-wired pretty easily. Go away. Say nothing. And the OP is herself sensitive to chemical smells, so the Febreeze would be harming herself. Thats worth adjusting a hair /skin/laundry care routine for so someone doesnt accidentally kill them or put them in the hospital. I wouldnt wish that on anyone. I would imagine it must smell much different to those that like patchouli because I would never call the scent I smell pleasant. This was my initial thought as well. I never smelled when she needed a ride anywhere or we werent in the office. What I found is that sniffing is a form of anxiety. Scent memory is powerful. A friend of mine had always had the sniffles. Im going to ask that we stop with those suggestions now and instead focus on how she should deal with the coworker, which I think will be more helpful to her. Say this to your boss: Ever since Jane mentioned a month ago that a perfume I was wearing bothered her, Ive made a big effort to ensure Im not wearing anything scented around her. I am scent sensitive, and some scents/smells do trigger headaches, sneezing, running nose, nausea, and/or migraines. lol, I still do miss the vinegar in the rinse, and I could never smell it. 15) She makes you feel special. its another to try to force someone to, say, buy a new wardrobe and try pills and special washes to absolutely rule out any and all possible causes. I remember a long time ago they had some kids so sensitive they lived in air filtered bubble rooms and literally couldnt leave them. For some reason I have developed hay fever symptoms, runny nose, it Hi. 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. Um no. At this point, the issue is that she has a coworker whos being rude and snarky to her, not that she should just stop using bubble bath on weekends or so forth. 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. Advice for HR professionals on handling body odor, bad breath, flatulence, head lice and other problems in the workplace. I hope this works out and she backs off, but either way, as a scent-sitive person, thank you so much for going through all this effort. But seriously? Boss talked to her, and she insisted she hadnt sprayed anything.but I had 2 witnesses who said she did. Im hoping it doesnt escalate to that point, but Im glad youre out of that situation now! Theyre going through chemo, they may as well have a pleasant food. At Thanksgiving, people give me a look when I say I dont like turkey very much. Unfortunately, I have a colleague with whom I work quite closely who wears a perfume/scent that Ive become quite sensitive to. Note that the issue is addressed in a business by in this case, the sniffer's manager, to the sniffer. Here is my most recent one. +100 my workplace has those cans of Febreze in the bathroom and while I get the need for them, I do get that, its still awful and headache-inducing for me when someone sprays it. Dolores had a desk about thirty feet away and told me to stop and that the smell was making her sick. She had her unit say it was me. Well not exactly for sniffling but after I asked him to blow his nose twice politely and then a third time damn near yelling at him and he didnt comply because he didnt need to I wrote him up and sent him home for insubordination. When used often enough, this technique can make your colleague think twice about the . up. Take AAMs suggestions to speak to Manager or to take it to HR and see what kind of reaction you get. OP needs a second opinion. Is it my body? All the advice about deep cleaning all bedding and coats and switching detergents and shampoos and the like is baffling. I had a coworker who happened to have her desk right below one of the (old) building's AC vents, and she would sniffle / cough at least several times every single hour. He probably has a sick crush on you. I like the idea to get a blunt friend to do the sniff test, but basically I think the ideas about limiting physical contact are the best way to go at this point; Im a little afraid of sending the OP down a rabbit hole of onerous scent minimization that may not solve the problem. Sure, the smell bothered me and sometimes I had to go take a walk to the water cooler to clear my head, but we were doing everything possible to mitigate the scent in the office so I just had to suck it up and deal with it and I would never dream of asking my boss to change his lifestyle to accommodate me. Im not surprised. Is there a chance that it is lingering in your hair or clothes? Oh! Just make sure over time they don't start pulling to those spots! However, genuine allergic reactions arent necessarily going to manifest in front of their sourceits not all doubling over in the moment. Ive known people like this who take kindness and consideration as a weakness and will exploit it. It is going down the whole ethnic food route of complaining about stinky food. oh I get it I know that people either love or loathe it. That all said, if someone really has to try hard to smell things, then I fail to see how those scents could be so potent as to warrant the need to remove them. I did. Scents like patchouili do linger and seem to wed to clothes. If OP regularly wore scents, it is possible the scent is there and she is noseblind to it. Psychosomatic reactions to various triggers, including scents, are pretty well documented. And I find even mens deodorants to be strong enough that I can smell it when they walk by. Yes Tom Ford has a fragrance called White Patchouli that I refer to as my rich hippie perfume. For real I understand if people *like* the smell of Febreeze, but seriously, its not some magical odor-disapperating powder, so dont act like its automatically preferable to any other strong scent. Been over 10 years now. Its a pain to find fragrance free shampoo and conditioner, but Jason Naturals makes an ok version. She likes the idea and often makes it a part of our sexlife. That being said, do you use scented candles? ^^namelesscommentater said what I was thinking.^^. Lets see if we can narrow down where/what it is.. This feels very much like using HR to bully an employee while acting like the victim. I once did a volunteer gig in a bingo hall this was before tobacco regulations were tightened in public locations and afterwards I could smell the smoke until I washed my sneakers, my purse (fabric, luckily), and my coat and scarf. (LW, you have been so funny in the comments) At this point, the issue is that she has a coworker whos being rude and snarky to her, not that she should just stop using bubble bath on weekends or so forth. OP has done everything possible to accommodate them. And has had it since he was a child. Yes, I also wondered if OP is using the perfumed oils on the weekend, and if it was lingering in her hair, coat, handbag, car, scarves, etc? I will sometimes start to smell a certain scent that I associate heavily with a person when Im on the phone with him. Its also not a popular smell for body fragrances either, which tend to be floral or fruit based. Im not altering a huge chunk of my life because someone doesnt like how I smell. Has she told others that their scent bothers her? I am on a small anti-anxiety med now and it has made a difference. 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