I would hate work for the companies that many of you work for. And would probably change jobs until I found one that treated all of its employees with respect.
It is not, and this is more or less what I expected. Am sort of gratified to see how many people shared that instinct and told me so.
Nice phrasing - it is closer to my intention than what I originally wrote, which really is a request for info whether or not such policies exist in the 1st place. Thank you for the suggestion.
Board rules forbid me to explain why this is not the case.
[Quote=RJEatonton]
You’ve, ah, met her already? Because, da-yum, this was spot fucking on. Oh, and I got a bitter little laugh out of your post, Omar.
To those suggesting removal/disposal: believe me, I’ve gone into her office late in the evening, when I’m the last one here and the thing’s long been shut off and gone cold and stink-less, and just stood there, staring longingly, conjuring up mental images of destruction and mayhem. However, she’d just buy a new one - bigger and stinkier, no doubt. The fucking catalogue is right there on her desk.
a little clear nail polish on the plug contacts of Scentsy should resolve the issue with a minimum of fuss. cover all metal, and let it dry before plugging it back in.
Go to your company’s safety officer and request one of these gas masks so that you can do your work. Seriously.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/b278/
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/8c52/
Buy one of these. Deploy it.
Also, the nail polish. Good idea.
As someone who can be very sensitive to smells, I can tell you that no smell makes me more instantly sick feeling than the smell of pot (what I will do if I ever get cancer or something and need it for treatment so I can eat, I have no idea :p). The one thing I’ve noticed with the smokers I’ve known in my life is that most of them don’t realize how bad they stink- that stuff comes out of your sweat for days after you do it and it really is rank. Perhaps your boss is trying to cover your smell?
Ahhh! Now I understand - I was quite confused by Ms. Shoe’s response. Yah, that is a smell that is pretty nasty although it depends on how much the person is smoking.
That could be something to watch out for - if you make a fuss about the scent thing boss’s boss may come back with a complaint about your odor (if you smoke a lot).
What Dangerosa said is definitely worth re-reading. Although your doctor might tell you to quit smoking first before she issues something saying you need a “scent free” workplace.
Of course the nailpolish idea is a good one if you’re beyond careful.
I don’t see any problem with going to HR about this. However I’d suggest you do it anonymously.
Most companies I know do have some sort of “scent-free workplace” policy that they aren’t afraid to enforce.
Yes, HR is there to protect the company and not the employees. Allowing her to have her scent machine in the office does nothing to help the company. Making her get rid of it so an employee doesn’t file a claim against the company that her allergic/asthmatic symptoms were triggered by a scent machine in the office does help the company.
If you can do it anonymously HR will simply verify there is one in use and tell boss’s boss to get rid of it due to a complaint. Any HR person would see this as an open/shut case. They’d be more apt to be afraid to “not” do anything about it since it could come back and bite them.
I agree with you Hampshire, but apparently the OP and several other folks posting in this thread work for companies that blindly follow heirachy in the corporate org. chart and encourage retaliation against people trying to improve the work environment.
People, people! Clearly, the best course of action is to start a fire in the office that appears to have been started by the scent warmer. Problem solved!
Holy guacamole, people. If I was coming into work stinking of weed, don’t you think I’d be shitcanned immediately?!? Jeebus.
(Hint: the correct answer is yes, I’d be fired.)
Interesting theory, but dead wrong. Thank you, please try again. 
Its SAGE and its used for RELIGIOUS purposes 
Another good idea.
The problem is, the OP is the one person who has brought this up before. So, even if HR keeps it anonymous, when grandboss (love that term) gets scolded, she’ll know who did it, and will retaliate the same as if she had been directly told.
HR: “One of your employees has complained about your plug-in scent warmer thingie.”
Manager: “So?”
HR: “Can you remove it?”
Manager: “No.”
HR: “Ok then.”
According to the OP:
Is there anyone in the office with some kind of ailment that they could exploit in this case? Before my meds were fully adjusted, strong scents like that could trigger my seizures. I’d use that, personally. If she threw a fit, I’d get a note from my doctor. And if worst came to worst, I’d fake a seizure. I swore I’d never do that unless absolutely necessarily. This sounds like one of those times. 
But I’m evil like that.
To be fair, I would hate to work with someone like the OP. The air scent warmer is bothering me! I can’t work. 
Seriously, call the whambulance.
Take an advil and stop being a crybaby.
OP, for the record I’ve always liked you and though it a little odd that you’d be a smoker. I’m not one for subtlety so I didn’t get that you did not mean cigarette smoking :smack:. Nailpolish and doctor’s note still sound like good ideas, though.
I love scents. I enjoy scented candles and perfume.
However, some scents on the market are horrible, no matter how light they are. And even the best perfume can be nauseating if it’s applied too heavily. It sounds like grandboss is choosing very strong scents, and is running her warmer at all times. This combination can be nasty. The situation is complicated because grandboss takes any criticism of her actions very personally. She is using the office environment as a substitute for a home and family life.
For the record, migraines usually don’t respond to just an OTC painkiller.