I have a question for any HR people here. There is a woman in our office, that wears so much perfume that it's hard for me to breathe. As there are times I have to go into her office to work (I am our IT guy) what can I do about it. It does affect my health, and really causes an allergic reaction ( sneezing, coughing, wheezing and watery eyes).

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

[gayleggg]

I have experienced this and have basicly the same symtoms. Fortunatly I don't have to go to her office often. I guess you could Talk to HR about and maybe they could talk to her about it, of course, you that the risk of her finding out who complained.

My office is by the bathroom and kitchen area so, every time she walks by I get it. It lingers for 10 minutes after she leaves a room.

Thanks for your response Gayle.

[Perna]

I would see if an OTC allergy pill might help. I take one about every couple days as I am allergic to my cats, have cheap quality wall-to-wall carpeting and don't dust or vacuum very often, among other things. I liked Alavert but it makes me sneeze (I think the artificial sugars) so now I have changed to Allegra but I have tried a couple of the others; start with children's strength, see if it helps you?

I would talk to the woman yourself, not in any demanding or disrespectful way but just let her know you have a reaction to her perfume. She obviously does not know and might be happy to wear a different scent that does not bother you or less, etc. Where I worked we had a woman who got massive migraines from strong odors (she was the bookkeeper and personnel lady too :-) and new employees were automatically asked not to wear a lot of perfume or strong-smelling body lotions, etc.

I'm taking prescription Zyrtec everyday. And I thought it would be bad coming from a man. And you are right Perna, I should talk to her, just don't like conflict in the office. But I have to do something. Day is only half over and it feels like I'm breathing through a wet rag.

[Perna]

If your medicine isn't working, I would get rechecked by your doctor or something, see what can be done. I know I was surprised when I tried various OTC allergy meds (did not like Zyrtec) that they each had different pros/cons for me. I knew to check different ones though because my prescription thyroid pill, the different inert ingredients in each labs batch, I responded differently to each of them. The active ingredient in each of the allergy meds is different, maybe Zyrtec's doesn't work as well for you as another might?

Yeah, having to talk about sensitive subjects in the workplace is very hard. I remember a story my stepmother told me where she got elected to tell another woman in the office she needed to bathe more, that she did not smell good!

Hmm, if I were your over-scented woman, I guess I would prefer to hear it from another woman; have you any friendly women you do work for that you trust and might approach, talk it over with them, try to get them to broach the subject someway (as if coming from them instead of you :-) or who could give you tips on how to approach her yourself? If it were me trying to approach someone, I guess I would try for humor and making it as much my "fault" as possible; that I have a problem, not that she wears too much or too powerful a scent. But that might not work because she might not get it and would leave it up to you to solve your own problem. Too, it's not like if she has too much on or the "wrong" scent that she can instantly fix that? I'd definitely try different meds, see if I could find something that worked better, try mouth breathing as much as I could around her, keep my office door mostly closed and get a cheap desktop air purifier or something; I'd go so far as to get the label of being "too sensitive" and then others might be more careful and you could then bring it up that "perfume" (not just hers, every woman's) brothers you and you wish "women" would not wear so much sometimes. She might get the hint.

[gnat]

I have that reaction to smokers who recently had a smoke and to many perfumes. I just try to avoid people as much as I can and drug myself with ibuprofen, antihistamines and an inhaler when needed. It sucks, but I have found when you tell someone, "I am allergic to your perfume, will you please refrain from wearing it around me?" they tend to hear, "You stink and I hate you and want you to hate me too." Of course with the smokers, if they aren't going to quit smoking for the betterment of their own lives, they certainly aren't going to quit smoking at work for me. It sucks though.

I have a job that has a policy against perfumes, but it isn't very effective. There are three of us in the office who react to perfumes and one complains to management about it semi regularly. They have responded by sending out a mass email asking not to wear it which stops people for about a week and then it starts again.

Heck, even my friends who know it makes me sick continue to wear it around me.

I guess I've just given up on my own comfort, not to say you should.

[Raging Quiet]

I wear a lot of perfume, as I worry I smell bad; I never thought how effective it could be. I think if someone said you me "you smell nice, but your perfume is really strong, was it expensive?' Or something like that, it would make me rethink the amount I put on.