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Workplace Bans Perfume To Accommodate Employee With Allergies, She Continues To Complain
We all need our share of comfort while at work. For some, it’s having a cozy chair; for others, it’s decorating their desk to feel more at home. And for a few, it’s about keeping allergies under control.
But one workplace descended into chaos after an employee began claiming that her coworkers’ perfumes were making her ill — even though no one was actually wearing any. Despite management offering solutions like moving her seat, wearing a mask, or working in a separate area, she refused, insisting everyone else should go completely “scent-free.” Now, her colleagues say they feel targeted and bullied, and things have escalated so far that the manager has started conducting “sniff tests” to keep the peace.
RELATED:
Allergies can be tough to manage, especially in shared spaces
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
An employee seeked advice online after their perfume-allergic coworker made office life miserable for everyone
Image credits: Curated Lifestyle (not the actual photo)
Image credits: shrieks-and-creaks
The author went on to share more details about the situation
People with fragrance sensitivities can experience symptoms like itchy skin, redness, and even blisters
These days, it feels like everything has a fragrance. We’re not just talking about perfumes, candles, or soaps anymore. You’ll find “fresh linen” garbage bags, “lavender breeze” toilet paper, and even “ocean mist” dishwashing liquids. It seems like manufacturers are on a mission to make everything smell like a spa or a flower shop. But here’s the catch: not everyone enjoys this sensory overload. For some people, all those pleasant scents can actually be a real headache, literally.
Turns out, fragrance sensitivity is more common than you’d think. A large U.S. survey found that almost one in three people, about 30%, reported being irritated by scented products used by others. Around 19% said they had adverse health effects from air fresheners, while 10% reacted to scented laundry products vented outside. Clearly, what smells heavenly to one person might be pure torture to another.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, around 2.5 million Americans are actually allergic to fragrances. And this isn’t just about sneezing or watery eyes. When you use scented lotions or soaps, the chemicals can seep into your skin, causing irritation. In fact, fragrance allergies are one of the leading causes of cosmetic contact dermatitis, a condition that makes your skin red, itchy, and sometimes blistered. Not exactly the kind of glow-up anyone wants.
And here’s the wild part, these allergies don’t come from just one or two ingredients. Nope. More than 3,000 chemicals are used to create the scents we find in everyday products: everything from deodorants and shampoos to detergents and makeup. With so many mystery blends floating around, it’s no wonder some people’s skin or sinuses decide to revolt.
It’s important to stay away from areas where strong scents are present to help prevent allergic reactions
So, what can you do if you realize fragrances make you feel sick or itchy? The first step: go scent-free whenever possible. Look for products labeled “fragrance-free” or “unscented” (yes, there’s a difference, one means no scent added, the other might just mask it). Swap your regular detergent for a hypoallergenic one, skip the air fresheners, and maybe stick to good old-fashioned fresh air for that “clean smell.”
If you know you’re sensitive, try to steer clear of common areas where perfumes linger, like elevators, conference rooms, or crowded events. Scents tend to cling to fabrics and float in the air long after someone leaves the room. If your workplace or social space allows it, politely mention your sensitivity. Most people don’t even realize their perfume cloud might be someone else’s migraine trigger.
Another smart move? Keep a small air purifier near your workspace or bedroom. It can help filter out airborne particles that might irritate your skin or sinuses. Think of it as your personal “fresh air bubble.”
Of course, we can’t completely escape scents in today’s world. They’re everywhere—from public transport to the grocery aisle. The best thing you can do is wear a lightweight mask when you’re out and about if you’re extra sensitive. And if you ever notice your symptoms getting worse or persistent, don’t just power through, check in with an allergist or dermatologist. Sometimes, taking care of yourself simply means knowing when to step away from the “fragrance frenzy.”
Well, in this particular case, it seemed like the author’s colleague wasn’t open to any of the reasonable solutions offered and ended up making things difficult for everyone else at work. What do you think? Have you ever had to deal with a coworker who just wouldn’t compromise or made the workplace more stressful for everyone?
People online chimed in with advice, though many agreed that the woman was being quite unreasonable
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Maartje 1 month ago (edited)
If they are willing to provide you accommodations like a place away from other people, and you do not take it but instead choose to continue to complain then it's on you. I am allergic to one particular perfume (strangely, the knock-off version doesn't bother me) and if I encounter a person wearing it, I walk away before my asthma gets triggered. If someone at work would be wearing it, I would have to ask them to stop wearing it but I do not create drama because of it.
Ge Po 1 month ago
The more expensive perfumes cost more because of certain ingredients. For the more sensitive noses, they make a big difference. Regrettably, some of those expensive ingredients also trigger allergies, whereas the less expensive substitute does not.
Load More Replies...
Upstaged75 1 month ago (edited)
The person in the story sounds like they have main character syndrome.
Babs McGurk 1 month ago
We had a woman in our office with extreme sensitivities to anything perfumed - soap, deodorant, perfume itself, etc. Management bent over backwards for her. The soap in the bathrooms was changed out for unscented soap, we had to purchase unscented dish soap for the kitchen, her solid wood office door was replaced with a windowed door so she could keep it closed. We were all a bit annoyed, but were supportive of her needs - UNTIL the day her husband came into the office with an incrediby strong and pungent tobacco smell hovering around him. She lost a little sympathy that day.
spacer 1 month ago (edited)
tobacco isnt perfume though? im allergic to perfume, i cant use scented soap because my hands will literally start to burn and go red but im not allergic to scents even if i can find them a little annoying since i dont have any of that at home. i cant use them but i wont tell others they cant.
Load More Replies...
greenideas 1 month ago
If my boss sniffed me, I would recoil and look at them like they lost their d**n mind.
JL 1 month ago
Being sniffed by the boss feels like a call to HR is in order.
Load More Replies...
ॐBoyGanesh 1 month ago (edited)
Hired a 40ish woman who’d recently divorced & moved to our island. She had sneezing attacks congruent with allergies & hay fever. She approached us saying that she was allergic to most perfumes & strong scents. We asked how it was dealt with previously. She said it was new. She had a good friend who developed the allergy during menopause. I researched this & it isn’t unheard of for people to develop a sensitivity, but it’s definitely NOT an allergy from any medical literature I could find. Turns out it was the hibiscus & plumeria growing all over the d**n island. Once solved, she was fine for a while, but then the symptoms returned. We nailed it down to a very odorous topical NSAID called diclofenac. At the time prescription only, that’s now OTC as Voltaren Gel. We absolutely couldn’t have an employee not use their prescribed med. We told the new lady to wear a mask. She did for 3 whole days, complaining constantly. She then quit & tried unsuccessfully to claim unemployment.
Apatheist Account2 1 month ago
Reminds me of the directive we got when setting up a CATI centre. It told people not to wear overpowering cologne - and what they meant to say was "it is important to get on with your colleagues". Unfortunately, due to a typo (possibly Freudian) it said "it is important to get it on with your colleagues." I mean, they're the bosses, who were we to argue?
Sue User 1 month ago
I worked an amusement park one summer. Five hundred hormonal teenagers in a fun summer job. Crazy times.
Load More Replies...
Asri 1 month ago
I am extremely sensitive to perfumes and scents, IDC how soothing or expensive people think their scents are. The sinus burning and headaches are brutal. A quiet, smell free space with no one around would have been a dream come true when I was working, so I believe this lady is just being a drama queen. She's been offered a great accommodation. (It is possible has phantosmia if she continues to smell it when she is away from work.)
megabeth 1 month ago
That's what I find hinky about the situation. If she was actually suffering she'd be happy to have a scent free space even if it felt isolating.
Load More Replies...
SheamusFanFrom1987 1 month ago
If all else fails, I think she should just be issued a gas mask as a final step... -_-"
Livingwithcfs 1 month ago (edited)
I have a lot of issues with scents that are not natural, they can either make me physically sick or give me a right Royal headache, even migraines. I get the struggle. I personally only make and use my own personal care products to avoid these types of scents. I can't stop others from using them but I can control myself. All of those with allergies should manage themselves first and others only if it's a severe enough to cause harm. Our allergies are not other peoples problems
Kyra Noelle 3 weeks ago
My dad would complain about one lady's perfume; he would go on and on about it how it makes him sick, it was too much etc. Turns out it was the fabric softener my grandmother used drying clothes. I hope he apologized to her.
tameson 3 weeks ago
I am sensitive to artificial scents. They give me a headache. Have since I was a kid. Our home is pretty much scent free. If I had to sit next to someone who was wearing perfume it would definitely impact me, but it wouldn't incapacitate me. I have a colleague who gets full on migraines if she is exposed to perfume. She has to have a work environment where no one wears perfume. I don't see why that is such a big deal. Why would someone wear perfume to work knowing that it was going to essentially incapacitate a colleague?
Littlemiss 1 month ago
As someone with horrendous allergies, I don't expect anyone to make amends for my problems. This woman is milking it to the extreme. She's making the workplace toxic and being a pain in the a*rse. I bet she's trying to get certain people she doesn't like fired.
Vicki Hodges 1 month ago
She needs to be isolated from the rest of the employees or WFH. Maybe she needs to rethink call centre career. Sounds more like MH issues.
weatherwitch 1 month ago
Has anyone considered it could be cleaning items being used that do this too? I have Fragrance Sensitivity. Some perfumes affect me badly, modern spray polish is hell but the Worst, most horrific offenders are laundry products. Some of them make people REEK, people smell disgusting from them. I get Blinding headaches from them, the pain in my face and head from the 'fragrance' stench is beyond belief and that pain and stomach sickness can last All day. All because someone is nose blind and likes to add that little bit extra.... Or worse still those funny pods things that boost. It doesn't need boosting, those clothes need burning. You can Smell someone walking down the street long before you're level with them. As for the laundry aisle in the supermarkets, I avoid those like the plague and usually the ones the other side too. But this lady needs to be accommodating too. She should aceept being moved as 'accomodating' to her needs. I couldn't breathe in a carers car for something perfum
weatherwitch 1 month ago
Perfumed. I was getting more and more unwell, found it, the air freshener. She put it in the boot and that was it. It's quite odd. On a lower scent being affected isn't so immediate, it's like you're suddenly feeling unwell, a bit dizzy, can't think straight, a pain starts in my face around the cheeks going to the forehead. If I can't get away from the cause, and you've got to know the source for that then the blinding headache, disturbed vision and stomach ache starts. The worst thing is that I have little sense of smell now so I get affected Before I can smell it. It's a very strange thing this kind of sensitivity but it is very disabling once going,
Load More Replies...
Deborah B 1 month ago
A desktop air purifier could potentially help a lot. Allergies to perfume can vary from causing head aches, to causing hayfever-like symptoms. She could easily be having problems with something else in the environment, like mold or a cleaner, and be attributing that to someone wearing perfume. An air purifier could help with a lot of airborn allergens.
JB 1 month ago (edited)
TBH this post and the comments make me see RED! Some allergic reactions are to airborne particles and can be severe to life-threatening, primarily anaphylaxis and asthma. I personally know of two where the individuals suffered anaphylaxis if exposed. A lady who could be hospitalized if exposed to latex; balloons were a popular celebration decoration but the latex type had to be banned from the premises. This is before remote work was viable. My ex was/is anaphylactic reactive to some or all of the spices typically used in curry… diagnosed! Management banned curry from being heated in the microwaves at work, yet I still lost count of the number of times he had to be sent home because some selfish āsshole “forgot” (despite the notes on EVERY microwave) or “didn’t think it was *that* serious”. Plus, there were a LOT of complaints about how unfair it was they couldn’t eat whatever they wanted. Listen, if it’s literally a life or death situation, you can eat your fūcking curry at home! Ex worked in IT, maintaining the servers and all network infrastructure including hardware. You can’t do this job remotely. You can’t avoid air, you can’t stop breathing and a mask isn’t effective protection, the allergens can be absorbed through your skin and air-exposed membranes (eyes). Anyone whining about having to accommodate an allergy *this* serious, or saying their products/food to do so should be paid for, should be subjected to an injection that causes their throat to swell to the point they can barely breathe so they can comprehend what they’re willing to impose on another person. Imagine if it were your life on the line while people around you act as if it’s your fault you could dıe from their actions. We all know why peanuts are banned from most schools: because kids could dıe from airborne exposure. But, somehow, it’s not considered the same if an adult might dıe. What really, really, grinds my gears is the people who *don’t* have such severe issues acting as though they do. People observe the exceptions where their physical reactions simply don’t align with their claims. It becomes normalized to assume everyone who says they could dıe from an allergic reaction is exaggerating. This woman comes across as one of those.
Maartje 1 month ago (edited)
If they are willing to provide you accommodations like a place away from other people, and you do not take it but instead choose to continue to complain then it's on you. I am allergic to one particular perfume (strangely, the knock-off version doesn't bother me) and if I encounter a person wearing it, I walk away before my asthma gets triggered. If someone at work would be wearing it, I would have to ask them to stop wearing it but I do not create drama because of it.
Ge Po 1 month ago
The more expensive perfumes cost more because of certain ingredients. For the more sensitive noses, they make a big difference. Regrettably, some of those expensive ingredients also trigger allergies, whereas the less expensive substitute does not.
Load More Replies... Upstaged75 1 month ago (edited)
The person in the story sounds like they have main character syndrome.
Babs McGurk 1 month ago
We had a woman in our office with extreme sensitivities to anything perfumed - soap, deodorant, perfume itself, etc. Management bent over backwards for her. The soap in the bathrooms was changed out for unscented soap, we had to purchase unscented dish soap for the kitchen, her solid wood office door was replaced with a windowed door so she could keep it closed. We were all a bit annoyed, but were supportive of her needs - UNTIL the day her husband came into the office with an incrediby strong and pungent tobacco smell hovering around him. She lost a little sympathy that day.
spacer 1 month ago (edited)
tobacco isnt perfume though? im allergic to perfume, i cant use scented soap because my hands will literally start to burn and go red but im not allergic to scents even if i can find them a little annoying since i dont have any of that at home. i cant use them but i wont tell others they cant.
Load More Replies... greenideas 1 month ago
If my boss sniffed me, I would recoil and look at them like they lost their d**n mind.
JL 1 month ago
Being sniffed by the boss feels like a call to HR is in order.
Load More Replies... ॐBoyGanesh 1 month ago (edited)
Hired a 40ish woman who’d recently divorced & moved to our island. She had sneezing attacks congruent with allergies & hay fever. She approached us saying that she was allergic to most perfumes & strong scents. We asked how it was dealt with previously. She said it was new. She had a good friend who developed the allergy during menopause. I researched this & it isn’t unheard of for people to develop a sensitivity, but it’s definitely NOT an allergy from any medical literature I could find. Turns out it was the hibiscus & plumeria growing all over the d**n island. Once solved, she was fine for a while, but then the symptoms returned. We nailed it down to a very odorous topical NSAID called diclofenac. At the time prescription only, that’s now OTC as Voltaren Gel. We absolutely couldn’t have an employee not use their prescribed med. We told the new lady to wear a mask. She did for 3 whole days, complaining constantly. She then quit & tried unsuccessfully to claim unemployment.
Apatheist Account2 1 month ago
Reminds me of the directive we got when setting up a CATI centre. It told people not to wear overpowering cologne - and what they meant to say was "it is important to get on with your colleagues". Unfortunately, due to a typo (possibly Freudian) it said "it is important to get it on with your colleagues." I mean, they're the bosses, who were we to argue?
Sue User 1 month ago
I worked an amusement park one summer. Five hundred hormonal teenagers in a fun summer job. Crazy times.
Load More Replies... Asri 1 month ago
I am extremely sensitive to perfumes and scents, IDC how soothing or expensive people think their scents are. The sinus burning and headaches are brutal. A quiet, smell free space with no one around would have been a dream come true when I was working, so I believe this lady is just being a drama queen. She's been offered a great accommodation. (It is possible has phantosmia if she continues to smell it when she is away from work.)
megabeth 1 month ago
That's what I find hinky about the situation. If she was actually suffering she'd be happy to have a scent free space even if it felt isolating.
Load More Replies... SheamusFanFrom1987 1 month ago
If all else fails, I think she should just be issued a gas mask as a final step... -_-"
Livingwithcfs 1 month ago (edited)
I have a lot of issues with scents that are not natural, they can either make me physically sick or give me a right Royal headache, even migraines. I get the struggle. I personally only make and use my own personal care products to avoid these types of scents. I can't stop others from using them but I can control myself. All of those with allergies should manage themselves first and others only if it's a severe enough to cause harm. Our allergies are not other peoples problems
Kyra Noelle 3 weeks ago
My dad would complain about one lady's perfume; he would go on and on about it how it makes him sick, it was too much etc. Turns out it was the fabric softener my grandmother used drying clothes. I hope he apologized to her.
tameson 3 weeks ago
I am sensitive to artificial scents. They give me a headache. Have since I was a kid. Our home is pretty much scent free. If I had to sit next to someone who was wearing perfume it would definitely impact me, but it wouldn't incapacitate me. I have a colleague who gets full on migraines if she is exposed to perfume. She has to have a work environment where no one wears perfume. I don't see why that is such a big deal. Why would someone wear perfume to work knowing that it was going to essentially incapacitate a colleague?
Littlemiss 1 month ago
As someone with horrendous allergies, I don't expect anyone to make amends for my problems. This woman is milking it to the extreme. She's making the workplace toxic and being a pain in the a*rse. I bet she's trying to get certain people she doesn't like fired.
Vicki Hodges 1 month ago
She needs to be isolated from the rest of the employees or WFH. Maybe she needs to rethink call centre career. Sounds more like MH issues.
weatherwitch 1 month ago
Has anyone considered it could be cleaning items being used that do this too? I have Fragrance Sensitivity. Some perfumes affect me badly, modern spray polish is hell but the Worst, most horrific offenders are laundry products. Some of them make people REEK, people smell disgusting from them. I get Blinding headaches from them, the pain in my face and head from the 'fragrance' stench is beyond belief and that pain and stomach sickness can last All day. All because someone is nose blind and likes to add that little bit extra.... Or worse still those funny pods things that boost. It doesn't need boosting, those clothes need burning. You can Smell someone walking down the street long before you're level with them. As for the laundry aisle in the supermarkets, I avoid those like the plague and usually the ones the other side too. But this lady needs to be accommodating too. She should aceept being moved as 'accomodating' to her needs. I couldn't breathe in a carers car for something perfum
weatherwitch 1 month ago
Perfumed. I was getting more and more unwell, found it, the air freshener. She put it in the boot and that was it. It's quite odd. On a lower scent being affected isn't so immediate, it's like you're suddenly feeling unwell, a bit dizzy, can't think straight, a pain starts in my face around the cheeks going to the forehead. If I can't get away from the cause, and you've got to know the source for that then the blinding headache, disturbed vision and stomach ache starts. The worst thing is that I have little sense of smell now so I get affected Before I can smell it. It's a very strange thing this kind of sensitivity but it is very disabling once going,
Load More Replies... Deborah B 1 month ago
A desktop air purifier could potentially help a lot. Allergies to perfume can vary from causing head aches, to causing hayfever-like symptoms. She could easily be having problems with something else in the environment, like mold or a cleaner, and be attributing that to someone wearing perfume. An air purifier could help with a lot of airborn allergens.
JB 1 month ago (edited)
TBH this post and the comments make me see RED! Some allergic reactions are to airborne particles and can be severe to life-threatening, primarily anaphylaxis and asthma. I personally know of two where the individuals suffered anaphylaxis if exposed. A lady who could be hospitalized if exposed to latex; balloons were a popular celebration decoration but the latex type had to be banned from the premises. This is before remote work was viable. My ex was/is anaphylactic reactive to some or all of the spices typically used in curry… diagnosed! Management banned curry from being heated in the microwaves at work, yet I still lost count of the number of times he had to be sent home because some selfish āsshole “forgot” (despite the notes on EVERY microwave) or “didn’t think it was *that* serious”. Plus, there were a LOT of complaints about how unfair it was they couldn’t eat whatever they wanted. Listen, if it’s literally a life or death situation, you can eat your fūcking curry at home! Ex worked in IT, maintaining the servers and all network infrastructure including hardware. You can’t do this job remotely. You can’t avoid air, you can’t stop breathing and a mask isn’t effective protection, the allergens can be absorbed through your skin and air-exposed membranes (eyes). Anyone whining about having to accommodate an allergy *this* serious, or saying their products/food to do so should be paid for, should be subjected to an injection that causes their throat to swell to the point they can barely breathe so they can comprehend what they’re willing to impose on another person. Imagine if it were your life on the line while people around you act as if it’s your fault you could dıe from their actions. We all know why peanuts are banned from most schools: because kids could dıe from airborne exposure. But, somehow, it’s not considered the same if an adult might dıe. What really, really, grinds my gears is the people who *don’t* have such severe issues acting as though they do. People observe the exceptions where their physical reactions simply don’t align with their claims. It becomes normalized to assume everyone who says they could dıe from an allergic reaction is exaggerating. This woman comes across as one of those.
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