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“She stinks, Jill”

December 5th, 2023

My work colleague slammed his laptop down and let out an angry sigh as he flopped into the seat beside me. Not looking up from my own laptop I asked, 

“Problem?” 

“Yes. Janice stinks.” he replied bluntly. 

I stopped typing and turned to look at him with an eyebrow raised. 

“What are you taking about?” 

“She stinks Jill, I’ve just been in a team meeting for the last 45 minutes and her perfume is so strong and heavy I have a headache and I feel sick”. 

At the time, I rather unsympathetically offered; 

“I’m not entirely sure you should be this upset about it to be honest.” 

He snatched up his laptop and huffed off, presumably for some fresh air. 

At the time, I didn’t really ponder this exchange any further.  

However, recently, and out the blue, I was struck with a childhood memory of being strapped into the back of my uncle’s car whilst he smoked relentlessly from Sheffield to Cornwall with all the windows tightly shut. I certainly had a headache and felt sick that day, and I will forever remember the smell of cigarette smoke mixed with the warm interior of a Rover 800. (Also, don’t judge, it was the 80s). 

This memory (although maybe an extreme example) got me to thinking about how smells can affect people and I circled back to Janice, her heavy perfume and how it had affected my colleague. Although years have elapsed since this happened, it is not the only time I have heard comments about the strength of someone’s perfume or aftershave at work and how smells like this have made people feel sick. So, what exactly is the etiquette here? Is this even an issue? Or is this another non-issue the corporate world like to jump on periodically? 

Let us follow suit and jump on it for a minute. 

In my research I was surprised to learn that this is an issue, and more and more companies are adopting ‘Scent-Free’ Policies at work. These are policies designed to support those with sensitivities; employees that find even the slightest hint of perfume or aftershave can induce headaches or nausea. Essentially these policies request that you not wear any scent to work. 

Although the use of Scent-Free Policy is not currently widespread, it is gathering momentum. So how do we feel about this? 

Weighing it up in terms of how one enforces such a policy, surely, it’s difficult?… and would it even work? Even if the policy were in place, there are many sources of smell that could cause sensitivities that may have not been considered. A heavily perfumed company visitor perhaps? Mark’s fish supper he is heating up in the staff microwave? What happens if we paint a wall in the office as part of a rebrand? I for one, get an instant headache if someone eats Monster Munch and then talks to me at close proximity, is this valid? Do we ask the entire workforce the smells they are sensitive to? Do we need to do further work to establish what a genuine sensitivity is? And at what point is a sensitivity to smell a disability?

A sensitivity to smell is called hyperosmia and can trigger a range of symptoms from mild, to severe. It has been noted that since the causes of hyperosmia are so difficult to identify, it’s imperative that a workplace does everything it can to limit intrusive smells. Not doing so could result in lower productivity, conflict in the workplace and an increase in absence due to sickness. My question would be, would a Scent-Free policy achieve this? 

In case law there is the well documented case of a woman who worked in a London NHS Ambulance Control Room, dealing with 999 calls. She had a life-threatening sensitivity and suffered several serious adverse reactions at work because of perfumes and aerosols used by fellow employees at their desks. London Ambulance concluded that no ‘reasonable adjustments’ could be made to her place of work and dismissed her on the grounds of capability. 

A disability discrimination claim was brought to the tribunal courts and the employee claimed that as she had a life-threatening sensitivity to perfumes, her employer had a duty to make reasonable adjustments by banning fellow employees from using such products while at work. 

Somewhat surprisingly, the Employment Appeal Tribunal agreed with London Ambulance that, given this was a busy control room, it was not practicable to ban staff from using these products. 

As it turned out, London Ambulance had previously tried to implement a Scent-Free Policy and make a perfume free workplace and had been unsuccessful. 

There is likely much more to discuss as this issue comes into the spotlight, both advantages and disadvantages to Scent-Free policies as well as what should be included and what shouldn’t. Should Scent Free policies become the norm? What are your thoughts? 

In the meantime, and specifically regarding perfumes and aftershave, if you are not ready to abandon your Dior just yet, here are some tips for keeping the etiquette and being considerate. 

  1. Only lightly apply – Work is not the place to go all out with a heavy dose of fragrance. Apply sparingly 
  2. Consider the strength – If you like the heavy fragrance of Eau de Parfum, consider an Eau de Toilette for work, which has a lower concentrate. 
  3. Do not reapply – You may feel like you need to top up your fragrance during the day, this is likely because you have become used to it so cannot smell it yourself. This does not mean others can’t. 
  4. Have an awareness that it is not just perfumes and aftershaves – other products you use too can also be highly fragrant. These could include shampoos, body lotions, body sprays, hairspray, and deodorants. 

By Jill Barrowclough, Operations Director

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