Janie was a fresh, new, millennial grad – upbeat, self-expressive and super tech-savvy.
She was also a bit obsessed with her perfume. Every single day of her life, for as long as she could remember, she sprayed one squirt.
Since she started her new job as an entry level architect, she felt the need to spray a little extra to keep herself motivated throughout the day.
Five squirts became her new standard. Every time she’d take a deep, full breath – there it was: a fusion of citrus and floral. The refreshing scent made Janie smile ear to ear.
One afternoon, while she was in the zone and on deadline, Janie’s manager (who sat right next to her) came over to her desk.
Delora (manager): Janie, I have a question.
Janie: Sure, Delora. What can I help with? (Janie was anxious to get more projects on her plate).
Delora: What perfume are you wearing?
Janie: Oh, it’s Joe Malone’s Nectarine Blossom & Honey. Isn’t it just amazing?!
Delora: I need you to stop wearing it. Every day at work I’m miserable with migraines, and when I go home I puke at least two times.
Janie: Um (totally offended)… I’ll try.
Janie was devastated she couldn’t wear her light, airy perfume. Still, she knew how tough it was to get her dream job so she sucked it up and used only her deodorant.
The next day, as Janie walked to the printer, she smelled another woman’s horrid perfume – Christian Dior’s Poison. (Yes, the one old ladies wear).
“How come Delora doesn’t smell that,” Janie wondered while quickly rushing past the unpleasant smell. To top it off, the ‘Poison’ lady sat in front of Delora.
A couple weeks later, Janie was working hard on another project and Delora came up to her desk with another question:
Delora: Janie, I noticed you’ve been leaving five minutes early all week.
Janie: Um (totally confused, again) I’ve also been coming in earlier and have been working on weekends.
Delora: Well I don’t care how much time you put in – office hours are office hours. You need to stay until the day is over.
Janie: Okay, Delora.
The next day, Janie put on six squirts of her perfume and enthusiastically made her way into the office.
She was certain to abide by the company’s office hours.
Sheila Valesano, Corporate Human Resources leader who resides in Illinois
“One employee can request another employee to stop wearing certain fragrances, but that employees needs to be prepared to share a bit about their chemical sensitivity,” Sheila said. “One of the main issues is clarification. Is the request made because the employee doesn’t like the fragrance, or does the employee have an allergic reaction to specific types of fragrances?”
Sheila said most employees understand fragrance sensitivity issues and would comply with a simple request. If not, the employee can inform their manager.
“Since there are many scents that are found in the workplace – from carpet cleaners, restroom fragrances, soaps, paint and personal fragrances like perfumes, lotions, deodorant, nail polish, anti-bacterial gels, hair spray and so much more – it is important to determine what scent is causing the problem,” Sheila said. “The manager would need to find out if the problem is tied to a health issue like allergies, or if it is a matter of personal preference.
“It is not appropriate to criticize or restrict an individual’s personal fragrance choice,” Sheila discussed. “However, if the employee has a chemical sensitivity, then the fragrance is creating a health issue for them.”
Perfume is generally not a problem in small doses, she said.
“Many of us have walked through the cloud of perfumes in the fragrance section of department stores, and it can be overwhelming,” Sheila said. “So one way prevent a problem is to use small amounts of a fragrance, or none at all.”
Companies have responded to chemical sensitivities by providing efficient air purification systems, fragrance free hygiene products, workstation relocation, schedule changes and reducing the employee’s exposure to the fragrance.
For more information: An Office Building Occupant’s Guide to Indoor Air Quality
Disclaimer: All characters appearing in this short story, excluding interviews, are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
