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Discussion » Questions » Life and Society » Do you have people at your work that say they have allergies so your employer has implemented a no fragrance workplace?

Do you have people at your work that say they have allergies so your employer has implemented a no fragrance workplace?

I understand some have allergies to heavy fragrances and at times it's like people almost bathe in it.  But how do they handle living in the real world where they come in contact with smells all the time, whether they're buying laundry detergent or shampoo at the store, or passing another customer that used aftershave.  Yet at the workplace you can't dab a small amount of perfume or cologne on or use a certain brand deodorant or fabric softener.  Do you think some people have pushed the issue just a little too far.


Posted - November 6, 2016

Responses


  • 3191
    I am allergic to perfumes/colognes and a great deal of scented products.  I react very strongly when people are either wearing too much or I am exposed to it for long periods of time, even when they are wearing a modest amount.  I once had a two-hour, nonstop coughing fit just from going into the gas station to pay for my gas because the clerk had so much cologne on.  While some may feel put upon by fragrance bans, for some of us it can be a very serious health issue to be exposed to people wearing fragrances.  
      November 7, 2016 11:46 PM MST
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  • 46117
    That has got to be total and complete hell Bozette.  That is a hard thing to control. 
      November 7, 2016 11:49 PM MST
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  • 3191
    It can be at times.  I have learned what products I can safely use and do not experiment much with things like personal care, cleaning and laundry products.  It has affected decisions ranging from what types of jobs I have held, to what I do for fun, to whether I date someone or not.  As with anything in life, though, you learn to adapt and make concessions where necessary. 
      November 7, 2016 11:57 PM MST
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  • 46117
    WOW.  It truly permeates every aspect of your life.  I know it is not the worst thing in the world that can happen, of course, but it sure sounds painfully inconvenient.  I certainly would never complain if I knew someone was suffering because I wanted to smell a certain way. 

    My heart and nose go out to you.
      November 8, 2016 12:00 AM MST
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  • 3191
    Thank you.  My allergies have shaped my life to a great extent, though I never really thought of it that way until I was replying to you.  At first I was only allergic to scents and make up, then in my twenties I developed a host of other allergies.  

    One of the worst things for me is to have to be in a building that is known as being a 'sick building' or something like that.  I have run into those frequently that are government buildings and also two wings of the college I attended.  Unfortunately, I tutored there and the learning center was in one of those wings.    
      November 8, 2016 12:13 AM MST
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