Coworkers complaint was legit, but everything shes done since then is snarky and petty and mean (even if she really can still smell whatever scents OP was wearing a month ago). Ive occasionally used new products at home or at work that were stronger than I anticipated. Its not like youre shoving incense sticks up her nostrils. 1 They always take a lunch break with you. Sniffing is one of my triggers to, whenever I her even one small sniff I get a huge panic attack. I once tried to get a stain out for her which required washing and drying the same garment 4 times in a row.and yep, perfume was still there, almost as strong as before. Hes little and sneaks off and pees in low-traffic corners so its easy to miss. I think its one of those scents that everyones nose interprets differently. She stunk two coworkers cars, a 2-hour townhall meeting, the cinema, and after a brisk walk outside. If you yell at them to run, theyll tell you youre crazy, rude, whatever. I would also say they need to go to their manager or HR. Other possibilities include shampoo/conditioner or lotion. And its one of the most powerful triggers available. I dont have a huge wardrobe, so most if not all of my office-appropriate clothes have been washed since then, so Im pretty sure that there are no lingering traces hanging on. :). If it is bullying, then standing up for your right not to be verbally abused may help. We still see each other fairly regularly Because Kids and its extremely jarring that he looks the same but smells wrong. At some point, you gotta be able to cope. Displaying Self-Serving Behavior. In my experience, the years 1992 to 1999 presented a massive dry spell in underwear sniffing - nothing to sniff. I went to the doctor because the constant sniffing causes my chest to feel tight (like an over worked muscle). I can also relate to the last part about being cordial before but not anymore. I'm glad to hear that some snifflers have experienced repercussions! Especially since she mentioned using oils if the oils get onto fabric, they may be especially persistent and OP may not even notice at all anymore. The friction of interacting with an annoying co-worker actually presents a chance to cultivate essential leadership skills like assertiveness, self-awareness and confidence. Its reached the point where it feels like juvenile bullying and I honestly dont know what to do. My coworker sniffles ALL DAY LONG. That last bit of your post is the trouble I always have with scent-free initiatives. Its awful. That being said, do you use scented candles? I dont like using them, because they seem very anti-social, but I will in places I cant get out of and have no chance of controlling like an airplane or in a taxi. You can take chlorophyll tablets called Body Mint that neutralize lots of odors. I would not send her to HR, they are likely to be the dingbats that will turn it back on you. Its making me sneeze sooooo bad!! Been out of college over 10 years and still cant drink it at all. Are you using patchouli scented anything at home? If those same people saw the fire, theyd be grateful and not at all offended. And has had it since he was a child. I do have patchouli-scented perfumes, but nothing like body wash, incense or diffusers. Even I cant wear those. I think we can all agree that the best outcome would be for OP to shave her head, live in a sterilization chamber, and wear a new sterile smock every day. Should I just ask to move elsewhere on the floor? We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties. Pretty certain the vent was the culprit as once we moved to a different area she didn't emit nearly as much noise. Both me and the coworker are white, thank goodness. Alisons suggested actions make it clear that OP has reached the end of their ability to help and puts it in Coworker and Bosss court. I can tell you, its really hard for me not to come across as rude. She even went to my manager, who pulled me aside and asked me about things like deodorant and bath products. But I was young and naive and I said all I had done was use soap (which was standard issue and unscented) before I left the restroom. But she is still complaining and making snarky, belittling comments that seem out of place in a professional workplace. On a particularly strong scent day a few months ago, I mentioned this to her, and she seemed quite responsive and apologetic. I resent our new hires for setting better work-life boundaries than our company normally has, hairy legs at work, my office sent me a random TV, and more, heres an example of a great cover letter with before and after versions, my employee cant handle even mildly negative feedback, my new coworker is putting fake mistakes in my work so she can tell our boss Im bad at my job, insensitive Diversity Day, how to fire someone who refuses to talk to us, and more, weekend open thread February 25-26, 2023, assistant became abusive when she wasnt invited to a meeting, my coworkers dont check on people who are out sick, and more. In high school I had a job at a chain pizza place. This person took a fan ad pointed it st me daily. Policy. Let him adjust the seating plan, talk to the coworker, talk to HR, etc. She is rude. Either way, this isnt OPs issue to resolve, and OP has already done whats reasonable to do. I will say re: patchouli that its a particularly lingering fragrance. I have to agree. They say scent is our strongest memory, meaning that some smells immediately transport us to a specific person or place in time. My sister worked a local deli/crab cake place in high school and smelled of Old Bay to the point that shed walk in the door and strip off her shoes and clothes and not take them to her room. On a sidewalk, on a windy day. I try and blow my nose, and when Im alone in the rest room, I even pick it to try and clear it out. C: Understanding that it might not be OP, but that for a really legitimate reason coworker THINKS it is, at least unconsciously and D: the only way to take the bias out of the experiment is to NOT know where or whether OP is in the room when the test is being done. If you have a colleague who burps or sniffs excessively, the easiest approach is to tell her you find it offensive or unsanitary and, in the case of loud burping, do not consider it humorous. Its one thing to say dont wear perfume/aftershave/etc at work. Its really hard to find an average drug store might have one type of unscented shampoo for babies. Your coworker may just be associating you with whatever smell she didnt like before. The following Monday, though, I noticed the scent was strong again, so commented to her about it. OP, I think the strongest scent I wear is from my shampoo/conditioner, and theyre as close to unscented as it can get. I find it best to be open with people about misphonia, most people dont understand and say "just ignore it" but I just shrug and say "I cant, its called misphonia, look it up, its a real thing". And a lot of it just depends on if it is normal to you. Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone. Oh yeah, thats smart too. However, I noticed you said you stopped wearing perfume but have you also stopped using the indie oil scents? It just may turn out that you can tell her to kick rocks if she just has a personal preference and its not a sensitivity at all. The OP has already done everything within reason (i.e. I didnt know the immune system could even distinguish between synthetic and natural molecules, but it sounds fascinating. But youre not alone and I for one believe youre probably not the problem. Natural stuff and the high end perfumes dont seem to cause the same reactions, unless Im already in the middle of a reaction chain. My mom taught me this trick. And then do that, because its reasonable for you not to want to be subjected to this. Oh, dear, thats true. Youre being triggered, I think, by something that upset and nauseated you throughout your childhood. Okay, what??? Personally, I dont know why anyone wears it. I dont experience essential oils as lasting longer, much the opposite. So, since theres no history of odor-complaints it sounds like Coworker found a bone to pick with LW and will exhaustively harp on any smell coming from her. I much prefer it to sniffling. I think this is an important point too. right now, but Ive had this schedule for about 10 years now, so my hair is used to it, and I have a whole network of people I trust to tell me if its time to wash again. This is a good point. I used to love a scented oil, Rose Musk and I had to stop wearing it because I had two bosses that made their eyes water. My coworker was just a bully. I happen to like scents like patchouli, but it is a strong scent, so perhaps its lingering someplace. I sometimes light incense in my home, and if I light it in my bedroom I can sometimes smell it on my clothes later because of proximity to my closet when it burns. Also if OP is wearing the oil outside of work it may just be lingering on her skin or hair, even after washing. So, cutting out caffeine completely helped a lot, but doesn't help completely. Ugh the bathroom fabreeze. All day every day. 4. Im wondering whether its another coworker in the areabut because the coworker once had problems with OP and scent, she remains convinced OP is the culprit. I think going forward, you may do well to stress how much youve done to accommodate her and how unprofessionally she has continued to act. Usually, your best bet is to start your sentences with "I" or keep the focus on yourself -- it's less accusatory. Colds typically go away on their own after about a week. Its like once I hear a sound that bothers me, I can no longer filter it out. (As an irrelevant aside, one time I actually WAS right and I DID smell pee because the little expletive deleted peed INTO A FAN so there wasnt any visible mess, just a magical pee smell blower. You can do what you can to not overtly smell of fragrance, but I would be pissed if a coworkers extremely sensitive nose caused my employer to change my lifestyle so drastically outside of work. That is literally the worst of all worlds. To me, anyway. Unless you saw an allergist or ENT doctor, you might never know you have it., With such a long list of possible causes, how do you get to the bottom of your runny-nose problems? Your box of tissues has become your closest companion (and admit it your sleeve has been called in to pinch hit on a couple of terrible occasions). :D (Rabbit is pretty up there too actually and remarkably similar to chicken.). And you cant tell me that people who do have legitimate issues with scents dont routinely encounter scents that bother them. Because you sniffle 24/7 and you dont ever even try to blow your fucking nose.. She likes the idea and often makes it a part of our sexlife. OP tell your coworker that youve done all you will do and to knock it off. I am scent sensitive but not to all scents, and I have colleagues who are more sensitive than I but who can tolerate things I cant.). She is forever grunting, snorting and huffing and puffing, not to mention wheezing and coughing. Um no. I have some sympathy for people with asthma, etc, but I have to admit not as much as others on the board. Even if she genuinely believes she smells something, it is not her prerogative to treat you like this. I used a watermelon LipSmackers a little more than usual one day, and got a terrible stomach flu that evening. swiping a forearm across the nose. Either way, the coworker needs to take control of her sensitivity instead of expecting her coworkers to bend over backwards for her. I dont use scented stuff, I bake if I want the house to smell nice., And I finally sat her down and said Hey Coworker, I want you to know that I dont dislike your perfume/lotion/candle scent ( although I did dislike them) I just have a strong, physical reaction, and when its pollen season, or mold season, Im extra sensitive and really cant handle any of those products in the air.. Fab. I share a house with my mother; she uses fabric softener and her preferred detergent. So as far as I can tell, this came out of left field. My husband is quite sensitive to smell and he uses it so I thought it would be okay. Its not a unilateral street. Also, what if someone cant change products due to an allergy? They got washed by themselves. The more you use it, the more you want it, but the less effective it is, Dr. Reisman says. Is the boss smelling it? You have a meeting. At this point, it feels like Im being harassed for fragrances that Im not wearing and I want you to stop., You could also say, If youre suffering from fragrance sensitivity, you should talk to (manager) or HR about what accommodations they can offer. I have spent years finding a shampoo routine that doesnt make my hair look really clean, but is passable, affordable, and most importanly doesnt make me bleed. Its really hard to explain to people. I found a great hand cream that is lavender scented. 20 years later, Im still not on speaking terms with watermelons. 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