multiple chemical sensitive

[enjay]

You seem to be taking the position that the majority of people would cease doing business with a company that made such a request, and while I agree that there are probably a few that would out of sheer perversity, I do not agree that it would be the majority response.

I took a little informal poll of my coworkers here in the cube farm. The majority (actually everyone) said that given the choice they would take their business elsewhere. Look at it this way...you are choosing between two companies, one of which makes the request that you change your preferred method of grooming and one of which does not. Which do you choose?

 

[cbg]

Fine. You and your coworkers want to take your business elsewhere because someone made a polite request that on one specific occasion you forgo scent, do so. I don't consider the request unreasonable and the request is not illegal. Frankly, if I made that request of you and you chose to take your business elsewhere because of it, I wouldn't want your business anyway. Clearly you don't want anyone telling you what you can and can't do. That's your right, but I have a right to protect my employees.

 

[enjay]

cbg, I'm sorry that this has obviously touched a nerve with you, but I doubt my feelings are unusual. There are limits as to how accomodating an employer must be, and expecting people who are not being paid by a company to abide by certain grooming standards is unreasonable.

 

[cbg]

Not angry, enjay, just totally thunderstruck that someone would be so petty as to take business away from a company because they made a request to protect their employee's health. No one is being told they have to "change their method of grooming" permanently, they are being asked to not wear perfume to a meeting. Nor would it even be necessary unless our poster was also going to be present at the meeting. It's not as if I'm advocating placing signs on the door that you can't come in unless you're totally scent-free.

You're right; it touches a nerve with me. That's because, as you can see if you read the entire thread, I have similar allergies to certain products and know first hand how excruciating the headaches can be. For your sake I hope you never have to go through that, but if you do, maybe you'll have a little more sympathy. Until then, I think we'll just have to agree to disagree.

 

[enjay]

Until then, I think we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Yep, we will.

I don't want anyone to suffer, but at the time businesses need to make money. A company that makes excessive demands to its clients will be a company that loses those clients to someone else.

 

[Beth3]

Interesting thread.

You know, if I walked into a company's lobby and saw a sign like that, I'd make a point of making sure I didn't wear any scent on subsequent visits and I expect 99% of the people I know or have worked with would do the same. I don't remotely see any of this as an excessive demand or in the least bit unreasonable.

So you save the fragrance for after work and on the weekends. What's the big deal? That's probably the way it should be anyway.

 

[goodbirdie]

If you want another vote, I also would not have a problem foregoing wearing perfume on the day I was planning on visiting this company.

I wouldn't consider this an "excessive demand" and in fact I think it might actually make me think more highly about this company . . . a company that would ensure that an employee's health and well-being were not jeopardized I would consider to be a company that is conscientious, thorough, and caring. I would think of it as a "people-oriented" company.

Edited to add: I also get migraines and certain fragrances can indeed trigger a whopper of a migraine. In fact I once lost a job because of this excact same scenario. I started a new job, was told to report for my first day, the salary was agreed to, and everything, and was in the conference room filling out all the "new employee paperwork" when another new employee came into the conference room to do the same. She was wearing an overpowering perfume. She sat down right next to me, and started in on her paperwork. After 10 minutes or so I realized I was going to get sick from her perfume. I profusely apologized to her, but told her I'd have to move far away from her and explained why. By that time it was too late though. I had a blinding migraine and when my new employer wanted to start training me, I had to excuse myself to the bathroom to throw up several times. They told me to go home, that I obviously wasn't feeling well. Then they called the agency they hired me through and told them to tell me NOT TO COME BACK.

 

[JUSTICE531]

i have called to make appointments and have been told that it was a fragrance free office. and when i arrived there was a sign on the door stating that if you had on any fragrances or smell like smoke, please do not enter, and call to make another appointment. i was a happy camper. one less headache.

have this problem (MCS) you really find out how considerate people are. and believe me they only care about themselves. oh you get migraines, well i'm a woman and i've been wearing perfume for twenty five years and i don't plan on stopping for you. or they don't wear it and you piss them off, the next day they poured the whole bottle on. been through it all. it doesn't matter if they paid 5.00 a gallon or 200.00 a ounce. i still get a migraine

 

[JUSTICE531]

enjay, you sound like some of the people i work with. if you don't know what you are talking about, please keep your thoughts to yourself. seems to me you are a little less than considerate, one of those that only care of themselves. its a lot of people like you out there, and you work with them too. i'll say a prayer for you, you need it. if you had this problem, you would have different views about it. but maybe not, you seem a little on the slow side. you must live in a me, me, me world.

 

[enjay]

Hey Justice, I'll express my views whenever and wherever I choose to. I don't wear perfume, so none of this really applies to me. Newsflash, not everyone agrees with you. That doesn't make me evil, it makes me honest. My opinion is as valid as yours. If you aren't interested in dissenting opinions, don't post your problems in a public forum.

Oh, and Justice, insulting people with differing opinions by calling them "slow" just shows that you are unable to engage in a true debate. Try a little harder next time.

 

[cbg]

I took a poll on a board dedicated to managers, directors and so on. The vote was 100% that they would, indeed do business with a company that had a fragrance free policy, and several said that they would be MORE likely to use the one with a fragrance-free policy: if the company was that sensitive to the needs of its employees, it would undoubtably show the same sensitivity to its clients and customers.

 

[enjay]

Interesting, cbg, how different fields see things in different ways. My office (in a federal law enforcement agency) thought the complete opposite. My husband agreed w/me.

A different hypothetical question for you. In an office setting it would be relatively easy to accommodate the employee. Do the same regulations/expectations apply in a more public setting...say retail? I'd guess not.

I stand by my opinions, but I respect yours as well.

 

[cbg]

In a different setting, while it still would be necessary to accomodate the employee, it MIGHT be necessary to use a different accomodation. I've never said that this was the only accomodation possible or that it could be used in all possible situations; only that based on the information provided, this would be a reasonable accomodation in the poster's environment, particularly since they were at one time using it and then allowed it to lapse.

Assuming that the poster is covered under the ADA, there are NO circumstances in which she could be told, essentially, to "put up or shut up" (my words - I'm not assigning them to you). As long as there was ANY reasonable accomodation - and what is reasonable will depend upon the setting - that would allow her to perform the essential functions of the position, the company would be REQUIRED to provide it.

 

[JUSTICE531]

debate ??

cbg thanks so much for your ADVICE. i will keep you informed of any updates. its ashame some people just don't get it. thanks again.

 

[meschaper]

Kansas Call Centers

Hi, I work in a call center in Wichita, KS, I was working at one previously for 2 years. I started in September and the following March, they glued the floors - I have always had sensitivity to perfumes - getting headaches, throwing up, coughing, etc. This time it was really bad, I was coughing blood within 45 minutes, mostly from coughing so hard. Headache was horrendous, anyway, long story short, I ended up on Worker's Comp for over a month and then was on FMLA, I was paying $140. for meds per month with insurance. I decided when I was told that they would not ask everyone to stop wearing cologne or perfumes or spray hairspray at work for one person I needed to leave. (note one of the "office" people is allergic to Latex, it was banned from the building)

By this time it was really too late, my sinuses were just raw - always bleeding - couldn't take a decent deep breath to save my soul.

ANYWAY, I digress.

I quit that job and was out of work for awhile. I got better but never really completely, never could get the sinuses to be normal, headaches off and on and extreme sensitivity to fumes of all kinds.

I started working at another call center here in town that seemed to have a much better ventilation system. However, there are quite a few of perfume wearers, one supervisor soaks in it before he comes to work. When he walks by my desk I gag, I don't think he likes me much any more,

But now I am getting sick again, I expressed my concern and was moved to the end of a row. This isn't helping. I don't want to spend my life drugged so that I can work.

My home is fragrance-free, I have products, both personal and cleaners, that keep my house toxin free - I want to work from home. I have not been able to find anything that you don't have to go to school for, ie., medical transcriptionist/billing.

I am going to go to HR on Monday and asked to be accomodated under the ADA, if what I think is going to happen (nothing), are there options available to get help financially if it can be proven that I do have MCS, which with my medical history I do not believe will be hard to do, so that I can go to these schools?

Is there other alternatives? Kansas doesn't really seem to have a "take care of the employee" attitude. At least, from my experience.