Odor problem

Submitted by Josh Culp
in
Management and Leadership
One of my employees has come to me on a few different occasions complaining about the perfume of another employee on the shift that comes in to relieve mine. She arrives at work about 15 minutes early and is in the same room as the employee who is complaining. My employee says that the perfume gives him migraines. I have mentioned to the supervisor of the employee with the perfume that it is causing my employee to get headaches and migraines however nothing has changed. How should I proceed with this?
Submitted by Inactive Membe… on Saturday January 3rd, 2009 12:10 pm

Although your employee may find the perfume offensive, it does not sound like you have a causal link between the perfume and the migraines. Be careful - you don't want to undermine the employee's seeming legitimate gripe by making a case that can't be proven.
-Hugh

Submitted by Chris Donnachie on Saturday January 3rd, 2009 6:54 pm

Hmac is right. You have an employee who believes that the perfume causes migraines. This may be the case or not. To ignore the claim and take no further action however devalues your relationship with the employee.
I would approach the supervisor and ask why nothing had happened.
Chris

Submitted by Terri Hamilton on Tuesday January 6th, 2009 4:42 pm

Did you ask your direct whether he had approached the person himself?

My mom used to have to deal with this from time to time... she's allergic to a lot of perfumes. She would be polite and kind and say something like "I hate to have to mention it, but I'm allergic to the perfume you're wearing... could you wear less of it when you come to work?" She didn't feel the need to escalate it to management.

Submitted by Josh Culp on Thursday January 29th, 2009 10:34 am

Call this a solution or not, basically I have found something for my employee to do during the last hour of the day so they aren't near the person who wears that perfume..