Body Odor at Work

Ask a Manager has a thought-provoking post on how to tell an employee she has body odor.  There is no way out of this being an awkward situation to deal with, and an important piece of advice is to make sure to have the conversation at the end of the day so the employee doesn't have to sit there feeling self-conscious for the next several hours. 

I have a follow-up question:  what if the offensive odor is something that the person intends to be a pleasant smell such as scented soap or perfume?  How would you handle it then?  I'm extremely fragrance sensitive.  If I am in a closed-door meeting and another individual has a lot of perfume or aftershave on, I have a variety of physical symptoms that make me uncomfortable.  If I shake hands with someone that has a scented lotion or aftershave on, and get residue on my hands they begin to itch until I can find somewhere to wash my hands. 

I have had a couple of occasions where I know I am going to be in repeated contact with someone who regularly wears body scents and have been forced to confront the situation.  I vary my approach depending on the person, but typically it goes like this:

• I feel kind of embarrassed bringing this up, because it seems like such a minor issue.
• I have a condition that I have had since childhood - I am highly-fragrance sensitive.
• This means that I have a freakishly sensitive sense of smell, and things that don't bother normal people create discomfort for me.  It starts with a really bad headache and eventually I start to have problems breathing.
• It seems that there is something in the perfume that you have been wearing that triggers this reaction. 
• I hate to be a problem to you, but since we are going to be working on the XYZ project over the next couple of weeks I was wondering if we could switch out weekly update meetings to in the large conference room instead of your office.  There's more air circulation in there, and it should be less of a problem. 

My goal with this approach is not to equivocate, but to reduce any sense of judgment or pressure on the other person.  I let them know that my condition pre-dates them because I don't want them to take my comments as a personal judgment.  I also try whenever possible to offer a solution that doesn't require them to change their personal grooming habits - such as switching offices, using fans, etc.  I find that most people reduce their perfume use voluntarily when I do this.

Have you dealt with a similar situation?  How did you handle it?

Comments

[sharah]

Off topic, but have you ever been tested for allergies to formaldehyde? My mom has the same symptoms as you describe and she ended up getting allergy shots to help her deal with it. Formaldehyde is in just about everything(perfumes, new clothes, scented candles, new carpet or drapes, car exhaust, potpourri) and can cause pretty bad allergy symptoms.

[Jackie Cameron]

Peggy - My Mum also suffers this way with perfume. It gives her a headache and can make her sick and has spoiled many a night out at the theatre or some such place where she has to sit amongst others. I like your approach. I don't think the scent I wear is overpowering or having a negative impact on anyone so if it is it I need to be told and i guess that would be the case for most people.
Jackie

[MMG]

Having performed in various choirs I heard the often tossed around "statistic" that 1 in 4 people have some sort of fragrance allergy or sensitivity so we were told not to wear fragrance/perfumes. As a result I typically don't wear perfume or fragrance, especially if I am going out to a show or large gathering. This sensitivity/allergy issues seems to be a growing concern on an even larger scale because I remember hearing of some university program talking about being a 'fragrance-free' work environment.

As to what you mentioned-I think you are right on with letting the person know that your condition pre-dates them, and try to offer solutions that don't require them to change personal habits. Though if they are a conscientious person they probably will.

[job interview secrets]

oh, I think you provide very important article as it is really needed to take care of ourself while working, and specially body odor. Good stuff.

Thanks!

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[en yeni oyunlar]

Formaldehyde is in just about everything(perfumes, new clothes, scented candles, new carpet or drapes, car exhaust, potpourri) and can cause pretty bad allergy symptoms.

[Generic Viagra]

I don't know it it was legal or what, but have the case of a friend of mine who actually fired because he had a really bad smell. He was told, but the problem remained. I guess he had some kind of clinical problem. Can they fire you because of that?

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[Shia]

I have the same problem at work but, it all has to do with diet something called Trimethylamine. If you cut down in certain foods and eat more fiber, and yogurt, it will definitely make it better.

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[perfume]

Having body odor is a serious problem. The best way to do is to take showers more and washing your used clothes to remove bacteria. Most importantly, never forget to use deodorants or antiperspirants that contain zinc or aluminium which are known to fight odour-causing bacteria.

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some university program talking about being a 'fragrance-free' work environment.

[Fragrance online fan]

It may seem like a minor issue, but for those getting distracted from it and not being able to work it is a big deal. I know what you mean, though, because no one wants to have to tell someone they have bad body odor. I say maybe just buy them some fragrance online as a "gift" for being a good employee.