#TheNYTimes Do I Have to Smell My Co-Worker? Either way, sayi | BM | IELTS 9.0

#TheNYTimes

Do I Have to Smell My Co-Worker?
Either way, saying something about a colleague’s overwhelming perfume, or enduring it, is a delicate situation.

Scent Matters
I work in a small office at a start-up. Some of my colleagues used to be in extremely senior positions at major companies. I’m in my late 20s and have done well enough in my career, but I’m still very junior to some of these hotshots.
One, who sits close to my desk, wears a suffocating amount of perfume. I’m autistic, and I’m sure that compounds the problem as I’m quite sensitive to strong smells, but I’ve never had this problem before (normal amounts of perfume don’t set me off). I find it hard to focus on work, and it raises my heart rate when I feel like I can’t escape this physical sensation of strong perfume.
I’m not very good at navigating sensitive situations, but I would really like to say something. Do I approach my (normally very understanding) boss about it, or would that be interpreted as me going behind perfume-colleague’s back?
— Anonymous

Spending time around people who wear too much perfume or cologne can be absolutely unbearable. I’m sorry you’ve been dealing with this. You’re not necessarily going behind your colleague’s back to bring this up to your boss. It is your boss’s job, in part, to help the team resolve conflicts. But if you think this colleague is approachable, first try to have a conversation with them.
Being junior does not negate your right to a safe workplace. It doesn’t mean you have to suffer in silence. It can be a delicate matter to tell someone there’s an issue with their appearance or hygiene, but how this affects you is also a delicate matter. Try the tactful approach. Take your colleague aside and share that the quantity of their perfume is triggering chemical sensitivities beyond your control.
If you find taking that approach untenable, you should absolutely speak to your boss. Regardless, there is nothing unreasonable about your request.