I have multiple chemical sensitivity. A few years ago, the issue came up at work when one of my coworkers was applying scented hand lotion throughout the day. My manager at the time gave me an air purifier and masks, none of which worked. She refused to ask my coworkers to stop wearing fragrance. Finally, I went to the coworker and asked her to switch to an unscented lotion. She had no idea it was bothering me because my boss did not tell my coworkers.
Things have mostly been okay since then. I do have one coworker who insists on wearing cologne some days even though he knows it makes me sick. Thanks, dickhead.
Before Christmas, someone new started working a few cubicles away from me and she wore cologne. I went to her and very politely told her that fragrance makes me sick and asked her if she would be willing to stop wearing it. She said she would do that. When I smelled something the next day, she said that she sprays a disinfectant to sanitize her cubicle when she comes in. I didn’t push the issue because it would dissipate pretty quickly and I would be okay. They also use strong chemicals in the restrooms, but I don’t have to sit near those and I wear a mask if I have to use one until that smell dissipates.
For a little while, this woman relocated to another office and I didn’t come in contact with her. Now she is back to the cubicle near me and she is either once again wearing fragrance or spraying a lot more disinfectant in her cubicle.
I believe this disability is covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). I’m not sure what my next step would be. I have never really pushed the issue because the people I’ve told in the past seem like they don’t really believe this condition is real. My current manager is not aware of this since she is new (as of August 2022) and it has not been a real issue until now. Do I start by telling her to see what she can do? She is not located in our building or even in our city, so I’m not sure if she has any contact with HR or anyone who could do something about this.
All I want is for the people around me to stop wearing cologne or spraying disinfectant in their cubicles because it makes me physically ill. Headache, irritated throat and severe coughing, light-headedness and inability to concentrate. It sometimes takes hours for these symptoms to go away and I’m tired of feeling sick at work.
Would it be possible to do your job at home? If so I would asked to be reassigned due to a medical condition. You may need to document this with a doctor before any action is taken.
Do you have any sort of medical diagnosis? Any sort of doctor’s note explaining your symptoms? I would think that it’s a good idea to start with obtaining documentation that you can present to HR.
If someone has a disability, making them take on the entire burden of accommodations while others to nothing is not okay. This is a reasonable workplace accommodation.
So no one in the building whoever comes in contact with her can’t wear perfumes? That doesnt sound reasonable either. Perhaps the could provide other accommodations, like a private office. Work from home is just one thing they could easily provide.
I’m not asking for everyone in the building or even everyone on this floor to stop wearing perfume. I’m talking about a 4 cubicle radius. There is a woman down the hall who wears so much fragrance that I can tell when she’s been in the hallway. I’m not talking about her. I’m not talking about the maintenance staff using the chemicals in the restrooms. Just the area where I have to sit for 8+ hours a day.
If someone came to me with this problem, I would try to make simple & reasonable accommodations. I would not make extraordinary accommodations. Fortunately I think the OP is requesting the former.
I don’t have a disability, but I’m a member of my employer’s disability network as an ally, and via that I believe my employer is generally quite good at understanding and accommodating disabilities. On that basis I would definitely declare it as soon as possible. Hopefully the OP’s employer is similar. And as a co-worker, I would absolutely want to know about it, so I could take the necessary steps to accommodate someone else.
Is it officially considered a disability? I know Wiki cannot be used as a cite, but the page on MCS contains the following paragraph, along with three cites:
MCS is not recognized as an organic, chemical-caused illness by the World Health Organization, American Medical Association, nor any of several other professional medical organizations.[2] Blinded clinical trials show that people with MCS react as often and as strongly to placebos as they do to chemical stimuli; the existence and severity of symptoms is seemingly related to the perception that a chemical stimulus is present.[3][4]
But who must legally accommodate? The company or the co-workers? If a co-worker came up to me and said that my cologne makes them physically ill but I think they’re being a Karen/Kyle then can I demand of them to produce a doctor’s note before I provide the accommodation under ADA? And would it be reasonable for the company to ban co-workers from wearing fragrances, use cleaning supplies, etc.?
That raises the excellent point that the OP should probably make sure the condition is documented by a medical professional. Or, if it’s psychosomatic but serious enough to have physical effects, by a mental health professional: if the person is suffering from it and it cannot be mitigated or cured through the healthcare system, the cause isn’t important as making sure the person suffering isn’t suffering unnecessarily.
I think this was already covered. Get documentation from your doctor because if you do not have documentation of a disability (more than your word) then it is pretty much a non-starter.