My requests
for accommodation always involve trying to avoid the stinky habits of others.
Usually I'm begging for a fragrance-free environment either by requesting that
others are fragrance-free or brainstorming options so I don't have to be in the
same vicinity as the stinkers. The following are some of my more positive experiences
requesting accommodation:
Employment I worked for a major retail grocery
chain in the customer service department of the corporate office. We were in
the basement with no windows and since we were in charge of employee bonuses,
our office was top secret and restricted. The doors were never allowed to be
unlocked, let alone left open. I worked with twelve fragrance-addicted women.
My third week on the job I couldn't figure out why I was getting horribly sick
with some strange flu that would go away on the weekends. Finally one Monday as
I gasped for air I finally realized was reacting to the overabundance of stink
everyone freshly bathed in that morning. Since it was a new job, I was really
afraid to say something, but I didn't have a choice.
I couldn't breathe and I couldn't open a window. I told my boss, who told her
boss, who came charging out of her office, called an impromptu meeting on the
spot. She demanded right then and there that everyone stop wearing perfume and
made it really clear this was an issue of productivity and teamwork and not
personal preference. She even tried to keep the identity of the troublemaker
out of it, but that was a little hard to do in a small office. Awesome.
Much later, I
was promoted with this job and moved to another state to run my own customer
service office. I inherited an assistant who smelled like a French whore. I
requested she not wear fragrances to work and she continuously ignored me. I
eventually asked my supervisor what to do. I had no idea we had a legal
department in the corporate office! I went in for an appointment and the
attorney for the company was very clear: If the employee was asked to be
fragrance-free by her supervisor, she really doesn't have a choice. They don't
want me suing them for lack of accommodation. This was in the early days when
my chemical sensitivity was just getting started and it gave me an excellent
view of my legal rights from the corporate perspective.
I also worked
at a bookstore along with a large staff of silly, minimum-wage grunts, several
who wore perfume. One stupid little girl bathed in cologne and laughed like a
maniac every time I'd start having a reaction. Management gave me not only my
shift of preference, 6am to 10am before the store opened and smelly customers
arrived, but also allowed me to do special projects from home. In addition, if
for some reason I had any problem in the store, I could leave immediately.
Eventually my tolerance petered out and my hours started getting cut back. This
was mostly my choice. A few months later I applied for unemployment and I got
it! Management didn't even contest it although I did find out later I should never
have qualified for unemployment since I had a health condition that prevented
me from most employment positions. This experience was an example of management
going above and beyond the call of managerial duty. I was a very ineffective
employee every time I walked off the job and should have never stayed so long.
They still accommodated me to the best of their ability. I'm pretty sure they
collectively sighed with relief when I finally quit.
School One of the colleges
I went to has a fragrance-free policy. When I was a student, I wasn't
chemically sensitive, but years later I appreciated the forward-thinking
atmosphere of their educational environment. This school has been on the
cutting edge of everything so it's not surprising. I'm not aware of the steps
they take if a student or faculty member wears fragrances to school. I think
every public educational institution needs to follow their example.
Jury Duty
At some point you
may be summoned to serve your citizenship responsibilities and sit on a jury during
a courtroom trial with eleven other possibly stinky people. They send you a
notice of when and where your presence is requested with a statement that reads
"If you are not able to serve on the
day of a scheduled trial, you must contact the Court before trial begins to see
if you will be excused from jury duty for that day." If you need to be excused, you must write why
on the line provided. I actually have a form letter I've been using for the
past ten years as I get a jury duty summons about once a year from the county
and every now and then from the city. I list chemicals and scents I cannot be
around, claim disability according to law, and offer accommodation options. I
attach the letter of accommodation from my doctor which supports my claims and
anxiously await their response. Some courts tell you they will notify you if
you are excused; other courts tell you if you are not excused they will contact you. I always sweat this out although
I have no idea how they could accommodate me in a room full of people. In my
letter I have suggested modern-day options like close-circuit television or
online streaming which I think sounds very technologically plausible, BUT
according to the law the criminal has the legal right to see the jury, or some
such nonsense, so a juror's presence is mandatory. I've always wanted to be on
a jury, but missed my opportunity. I
have yet to be required to show. If they ever do require my attendance, they'll
have to provide suitable accommodation and, truthfully, with my letter spouting
off disability laws, I doubt if they want anything to do with me.
Volunteering I volunteer at my local food co-op doing
grunt grocery work: face shelves, stock produce, participate in membership
meetings, etc. One of the reasons I got involved is because it affords me the
luxury of human contact which is rare in my daily life. The co-op's philosophy
is all about health so most employees and customers don't wear perfume and
other scents. The shoppers are a little smarter than the average conventional
grocery store shopper, but every now and then one comes in reeking and I move
to the other side of the store. Management also claims they have a
fragrance-free policy, although they can't control shoppers and before I came
they didn't attempt to control the employees either. There have been some
employees who use smelly hand lotions, etc., but as a member of their volunteer
staff I have casually made comments about the stink and how it affects the
chemically sensitive. I have become their chemically
sensitive disabled person representative. I know they talk to employees
because formerly-stinky people are now no longer stinky. Hooray for affecting
change, even in small increments! Not all volunteer opportunities will be so
accommodating, but I selected an environment that was already health-oriented
with inclusivity as one of their mission statements. It's best to pick your
battle wisely.
Conferences and Meetings I belong to a professional association
that posts their fragrance-free policy for every meeting and conference. I was
the one who requested this years ago when I first joined, but at the time many
other members thanked me because they, also, had issues with perfumes and other
fragrances. Unfortunately, all they can do is post it. Because this is considered
an extra-curricular activity that
doesn't not affect my livelihood and is not mandatory for existence, they can't
enforce it. Although I know they have turned smelly people away, I think if the
person wanted to make a stink (pun intended) about it, he or she could probably
sue for discrimination. Most attendees have no idea what fragrance-free means.
At one conference I had a smelly woman sit right next to me. I asked her if she
read the fragrance-free policy and she said she had. I asked her, then why did
she stink. She claimed she used Ivory soap and according to the commercials it's
safe for babies so it must be fragrance free. Another person with the crazed look of a drug
addict in need of a fix came up to me and demanded to use my hand lotion because
she couldn't use hers and it was my fault. I don't use hand lotion so she was
out of luck. There have been many instances where I have had to move my seat closer
to a door or leave. Most often I just get so fed up with the ignorant people I opt not to
attend. Attendance is always a risk. Still, the organizers have tried to make
it fragrance-free and all-inclusive regardless of whether I attend or not. I
appreciate the effort.
Recreation Find fragrance-free friends who are
empathetic and willing to be safe. You can try to change your smelly friends'
bad habits, but as I've discussed in previous posts, don't count on it. Instead
of the stress and health risks, change your recreational activities and find
new friends.
Does anyone
have any accommodation experiences they'd like to share?
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