A workplace is full of different kinds of people, and as a result, there might be personality clashes or disagreements over even the smallest things. Sometimes, though, office conflicts can be tiresome if one entitled person decides to make a mountain out of a molehill.
This is what a woman had to deal with because her extremely sensitive coworker threw a fit over her scented handwash. This disagreement became a much bigger deal once their boss got involved and made the woman feel as if simply washing her hands was the problem.
Offices need to make accommodations for people’s health conditions, but it should not be at the cost of other workers’ safety, productivity, or comfort
Image credits: prostock-studio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster shared that her coworker was so sensitive to smells that their office had to become a “scent-free zone,” but this eventually led to more problems
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The sensitive coworker realized that every time the poster washed her hands, the smell of the handwash bothered her, so she complained to their boss
Image credits: Educational-Jello486
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster and her boss discussed the issue and figured out that the office had gotten a new scented handwash, which was affecting the entitled coworker
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The boss decided to replace the scented handwash with unscented soaps, in order to smooth things over with the demanding woman
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
After the situation was resolved, the poster decided to distance herself from her smell-averse coworker, and many others in the office did the same
Image credits: Educational-Jello486
The poster also asked the woman to apologize for conducting her sniff tests, but the entitled lady refused to do so and just left work early
Right from the start, the OP had to deal with her annoying coworker, who couldn’t handle smells and expected people to stop wearing deodorant, perfume, or even using detergent on their clothes. This woman’s histrionics caused such a stir in the workplace that they had to become a scent-free zone as a result.
According to experts, companies need to provide accommodations for people with disabilities or health conditions so that they can feel comfortable in the workplace. Bored Panda also reached out to Peter Duris, who’s the CEO and co-founder of Kickresume, for his opinion on the situation.
Peter explained that “in this particular case, the smell-averse colleague did not handle things well and ended up embarrassing her coworker. Instead, she should have brought the issue up privately with her boss to identify the problem and discuss solutions.”
He also stated that employers who have team members with sensitivity to smells should supply the office with fragrance-free hygiene products that can help make them feel more comfortable. “However, for team members with allergies, it’s necessary to modify the working environment to accommodate these needs as a matter of health and safety,” Peter added.
Unfortunately, in this case, it seemed like the adjustments made for the entitled coworker were actually encroaching on other people’s freedom of choice. The biggest example of this was when the woman decided to conduct sniff tests to see if someone was using a new perfume, as it was affecting her.
This behavior of hers went on for an entire week, and she’d invade each person’s personal space to take a whiff of their scent. Many coworkers felt that this was a form of harassment, and office policies do state that intimidating people or embarrassing them can be a form of workplace bullying.
Image credits: pressfoto / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Eventually, the entitled coworker decided to take her grievances to the boss after finding out that OP’s handwashing had activated her smell trigger. Even though this had turned into a much bigger problem, the poster didn’t want to compromise on her hygiene just because of her overly sensitive colleague.
Peter explained that “when one colleague has an allergy or health condition, it’s essential for the whole team to accommodate their needs. Allergies are something people cannot control, and can pose serious health risks, making modifications a medical necessity.” In this particular case, it doesn’t seem like the woman had any allergies; she was just bothered by strong smells.
That’s why Peter shared that “if you know someone you work with has an allergy, it’s a good idea to ask them what triggers a reaction so you can avoid it. For respiratory allergies, your colleague may need you to avoid scented products like perfume. For non-negotiable hygiene such as hand-washing and deodorant, switch to fragrance-free products.”
That coworker was probably seeking out drama and wanting to exert her control. That’s why employment lawyers state that anyone on the receiving end of harassment should document everything. This includes messages, official communication, or even threats, as all this information can later be shared with Human Resources if an investigation is underway.
Although the poster didn’t later go on the offense with her sensitive coworker, she decided to keep interaction with her to a minimum. She also asked the other lady for an apology for conducting her sniff tests, but this didn’t go down well at all. Atleast, the OP doesn’t have to compromise on her hygiene to please anybody else.
How would you have dealt with an entitled coworker like this? Do share your thoughts, and if you’ve ever been in a situation like this.
Folks were shocked by the sensitive colleague’s behavior and felt that she probably never washed her hands, which is why she hadn’t smelled the hand wash earlier
