Perfume Woes

Perfume - the word sounds smooth and sexy. Why is the reality sometimes so opposite?!! There is a lady who works in my building who must bathe in the stuff! She is easy to track - it's like she has mud on her gold slides - you always know where she has been! I have always steered clear of close contact with her, because I seem to be allergic to her brand.

A while back someone came into my office to complain (I'm HR - I handle everything!) - this person had come into their "cube" to talk about a project and the "complaintant" got an instant migrane, that sent her home and it didn't let up til late the next day!!

I sent an email to everyone in the building (about 100 folks), using a little humor, but at the same time getting my point across, that although most perfume/after shave is lovely, there are some folks who just can't handle it, so please don't wear it to work. I immediately received no less than 15 emails saying, "Thank you!!!" -( I should mention here that more than half of those responses were from folks who work on her floor!!)

I was pleased that almost everyone complied! - But you know where this is going!! She was on my floor a couple of weeks later and as usual was surrounded by her "fog of fragrance". I stopped and asked her, with a smile, if she had gotten the email request about not wearing perfume at work. I made the mistake of breathing in at that point and immediately started coughing! She followed me into my office, and I had to ask her to step back into the hallway so I could get my breath! She very indignantly told me that it was very expensive and no one should have a problem with it! I assured her that it was not the cost - but there was something in it that was very irritating to some folks. I was as nice as I could be.

Well, she is still wearing it, and you still are assulted by the smell if she is in the vicinity!! AAAuuuggghhh!! I wonder if I can/should write her up as creating a nusance? hmmmmm. . . .