ktlm
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2008
- Messages
- 9,699
Is it laundry detergent, or is it someone wearing a fragrance or burning a candle or spaying a scent that she can pinpoint it to? I'm extremely allergic to a lot of fragrances too. I've never noticed laundry detergent causing an issue, and I doubt if there is anything you can do about that. As far as the other stuff, the co-workers would probably understand if she told them she was allergic to whatever they were using. It is amazing how much product some people use. We have one guy at work that in the mornings you can smell his trail everywhere that he has been. If he picks up a phone somewhere in the morning, the thing smells for hours. Luckily, I'm not allergic to that one.
I have had to go to a co-worker and explain to her that I was allergic to whatever smell was coming from her office. It turned out it was a lotion she was using. She apologized and said she would never use it at the office again. I found out what kind of scents she liked, and I bought her a new lotion that I was not allergic to. She actually liked it much better than the one she was using. There was also one smell I could not pinpoint, but it hit my office every afternoon from somewhere and there was also another employee near me that was getting sick from it. Finally, as I was coughing one day, I just said very loudly "What is that smell- it is making my allergies go nuts" I heard this meek little voice from an office down below mine (our office has an open center) saying "Oh no- I think it is me. I'm so sorry. I didn't know that was what was making you cough every day". It was an employee that was coming in from smoking outside and then spraying body spray on herself so that others wouldn't be bothered by any smell of smoke. She felt bad because she was trying to keep people from being bothered, not cause allergy issues.
Also, tell your DD to watch out for scentsy candles. I am extremely allergic to those. A lot of people have them on their desks, and she may not have noticed them and may not be aware that is where the smells that are bothering her are actually coming from. We had one employee who sold those and kept them going in her office all the time. I was getting constant headaches as well as sneezing, congestion and coughing with those. I have never been so glad to see someone leave our office permanently. If those are in the office they could be causing her issues and I would just have her tell the boss that she is extremely allergic to them. More than likely if someone is allergic, it won't be hard to get them banned from the office.
I have had to go to a co-worker and explain to her that I was allergic to whatever smell was coming from her office. It turned out it was a lotion she was using. She apologized and said she would never use it at the office again. I found out what kind of scents she liked, and I bought her a new lotion that I was not allergic to. She actually liked it much better than the one she was using. There was also one smell I could not pinpoint, but it hit my office every afternoon from somewhere and there was also another employee near me that was getting sick from it. Finally, as I was coughing one day, I just said very loudly "What is that smell- it is making my allergies go nuts" I heard this meek little voice from an office down below mine (our office has an open center) saying "Oh no- I think it is me. I'm so sorry. I didn't know that was what was making you cough every day". It was an employee that was coming in from smoking outside and then spraying body spray on herself so that others wouldn't be bothered by any smell of smoke. She felt bad because she was trying to keep people from being bothered, not cause allergy issues.
Also, tell your DD to watch out for scentsy candles. I am extremely allergic to those. A lot of people have them on their desks, and she may not have noticed them and may not be aware that is where the smells that are bothering her are actually coming from. We had one employee who sold those and kept them going in her office all the time. I was getting constant headaches as well as sneezing, congestion and coughing with those. I have never been so glad to see someone leave our office permanently. If those are in the office they could be causing her issues and I would just have her tell the boss that she is extremely allergic to them. More than likely if someone is allergic, it won't be hard to get them banned from the office.
I wish more people knew this. If people are commenting on your smell when they aren't hugging you or leaning over to whisper in your ear, that's a BAD thing.
, vehicle exhaust will set my asthma off in seconds (note those are triggers, not allergies - as per my pulmonologist/allergist, who prefers the correct terminology. i also have actual allergies, minor ones that cause hives and swelling, and two that quickly caused analphatic shock).
But sadly you can not tell customers that. Some of these people stink!!!!!!! Headache will come with some scents.
:
