allergic co-worker = no perfumes no lotions---now unscented deordorant how far will this go?

Question

I currently work in an office with an allergic co-worker. For a few years now we all have dealt with her allergies and tried to be caring. Now our company sends out an email saying not only can we not have perfumes and lotions but we must now wear UNSCENTED DEODORANT! What is she going to be up in my arm pits. Is that legal?? They also brought up foot odor in the dress code. Uh oh sounds a bit stinky to me!!

Answer 1

Antiperspirants usually contain some form of aluminum to help reduce sweating. Deodorants are simply scents that mask smells but don't stop sweating. Some products are combinations with both a scent and an antiperspirant in one product. Most deodorants don't have much scenting but if your fellow employee has MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity) then your company has to try and accommodate her illness or they can be found liable and she would be entitled to money. Note- I didn't say this was fair but this is just the way things work in a society with too many underemployed lawyers.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/question627.htm

Answer 2

I think you should evaluate whether it's actually necessary for you to wear scented lotions, deodorants, etc. in the first place. It is a little ridiculous that a company would center several policies all due to one person, however. I think that if they suddenly expect you to do this, you should counter (with a petition preferably), that they compensate you for the new products that you wouldn't otherwise purchase. It's a long shot, but it may work. If they're going to favor one person, it's not showing any level of equality to punish everyone else. Which I believe could pose issues of legality.

Answer 3

If this woman is hideous looking to begin with, I wouldn't say anything, because you'd make her feel bad and there would be nothing she could do to correct the problem. If this is a reasonably attractive woman whose makeover is what's making her look bad, you might be able to hint at it by saying that you thought she looked fine before the makeover and she really didn't need it. I think whether you say anything at all, and what you say, depends on how friendly you are with this person and how well she can handle criticism. Since this is a co-worker, you might be better off saying nothing than risking a bad relationship with someone you work with and should want to get along with.

Answer 4

Employers are supposed to offer "reasonable accomodation" to someone with a disability -- I guess that problem would fall in that category. Having said that, I think that any further accomodations for this person are not "reasonable"

If she is truly allergic to all these smells, she should find a way to deal with them herself.

If this continues, I can see you all being required to wash your clothes and your bodies with unscented products and checking with her before you bring any food in the office which might set off a reaction.

Perhaps a group of you can go to your human resources dept to discuss the impact that all this is having on the rest of you.

Answer 5

My mom has problems with stuff like that and she never asks people to change their deodorant! She probably has to wear unscented, but I can't imagine how deodorant would really affect someone else unless you put on WAY too much. The perfumes and stuff like that is reasonable. That can throw someone into an attack if they are that allergic to it.

Answer 6

As a person with allergies I can say that when people wear perfume or sented lotions my throat closes and I cant breathe. My allergies are so sever that they cause my asthma to kick in high gear and i end up going home unpaid. To me thats not fair. I have FMLA for this reason to protect my job but no pay b/c someone likes strong sents. Deodorant is a little extreme, but if it is like old spice or something really strong it can affect me not that i am sticking my nose in someones arm pits, but some deodorants are so strong people around you can smell it. The foot odor thing is just off the charts..people just need to wash their feet..if their feet stink then they need to not wear open shoes and keep gold bond in their shoes.

As for the peanut butter thing in another comment you never know what your up against until it threatens your childs life. My son is extremely allergic to peanut butter peanuts and nuts in general..He should not have to fear for his life to get an education. At his school they have to already sit him by himself away from those who eat peanut butter. The school uses no peanut oils and recommends no peanut butter sandwiches but its not a demand. When he gets around peanut butter he turns redder than a tomato and stops breathing and has to then be rushed to ER. So yes I am in favor of banning peanut butter from schools and I am a huge fan of peanut butter but i dont want someone to risk dying because i want to be selfish.

Answer 7

Well on one hand now you know how smokers must feel. With so many places banning smoking and them having all their rights to smoke outside their home taken away. Yeah you could say well it's not the same but guess what, it is. After all this having your rights taken away is about someone's health. Yeah this would be bad, but proably legal. What workplace laws do you really think are there to defend your right to wear perfumes? This is a company policy and there aren't going to be many things argue that they can't have it.

Answer 8

My sister is really sensitive to smells as well. Mens deodarant messes with her allergies maybe you company doesn't want to be sexist.

Answer 9

Sounds like this one warrants an EEOC investigation. I think you and your co-workers rights are being violated.

Answer 10

I think it's ridiculous. I myself suffer from allergies but when organizations start pandering to every whiner out there, everyone's personal rights take a nosedive.

I heard of one school that banned peanut butter sandwiches...all nuts in fact, including candy bars containing nuts....over the demands of one loudmouth parent who's kid had allergies. It just goes too far.