Fragrance Sensitivities: Must You Adopt a Fragrance-Free Workplace?

Fragrance sensitivities are no laughing matter. To the sufferer, they can cause:

• Allergic reactions
• Itchy skin
• Sneezing and coughing
• Difficulty breathing, including wheezing or a tight feeling in the chest
• Headaches—even migraines
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Asthma
• Nausea
• Redness of the skin
• Watery, itchy, or red eyes
• Numbness
• Runny nose
• Congestion
• Difficulty concentrating
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Confusion
• Anxiety or depression
• Loss of appetite

Sometimes the symptoms can be quite severe and can cause difficulty working.

For someone who suffers from fragrance or chemical sensitivities, there could be any number of triggers. It might be, for example, the scent of or the content of:

• Body lotions
• Soaps, shampoos, conditioners
• Perfumes
• Deodorants
• Cleaning chemicals
• Air fresheners
• Candles
• Cosmetic products
• Pesticides
• Aftershave
• Hair styling products
• Detergents

This list contains just a few examples. Sometimes the specific trigger is difficult to pinpoint. Different people with fragrance or chemical sensitivities have differing reactions. Some reactions are immediate, strong, and short-lived. Others can be chronic. Others yet may take time to develop. Some people with these types of sensitivities may become more sensitized over time—meaning that it takes less and less exposure to trigger a reaction.

The reaction for many individuals can even become a disabling condition when it substantially limits a major life activity. While it must be assessed on a case-by-case basis, fragrance sensitivities may qualify some employees as disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This would then mean the employee in question is eligible to receive reasonable accommodations for this disability.

Fragrance Sensitivity: What Reasonable Accommodations Can Be Provided?

How can an employer combat this situation? The best solution for the sufferer is to remove the offending chemical. Must an employer eliminate all fragrances and chemicals from the work environment if an employee has an extreme sensitivity? What about customers and vendors? How can this be managed? What if it’s unknown what chemical is causing the problem?

Generally speaking, an employer will not be required to go quite as far as removing all chemicals, since doing so would likely present an undue hardship in most cases. The idea of removing all chemicals can be extremely problematic since not all chemicals and fragrances can be eliminated and much of it is outside the control of the employer when third parties or the public have access to the workplace. Even switching to all unscented products may not be enough.

However, in situations where the chemical can be identified and contained, doing so would probably be a reasonable accommodation. For example, if the problem is a particular air freshener, it is reasonable to stop using it.

Even if identifying and removing all problematic chemicals is not an option, there are still many reasonable accommodations an employer could provide that will assist in many cases. Here are a few examples:

• Move the employee to a work location within the building that is further away from the scent or chemical that is causing problems.
• Transfer the employee to another location, if possible.
• Install air filters and/or air purifiers (either throughout the workspace or for the affected employee).
• Change the air circulation patterns, for example, using fans.
• Disallow certain fragrances or perfumes in the workplace.
• Change cleaning chemicals to unscented varieties (note, however, that some unscented products are not completely fragrance-free.
• Remove all air fresheners or other offending items, if possible.
• Allow the employee to telecommute.
• Allow the employee to work in an enclosed office space.
• Provide a mask or respirator for the employee to use if the employee would like to use one.
• Make some designated areas within the work environment completely fragrance-free, such as designated meeting rooms and restrooms.
• Reduce the employee’s face-to-face conduct with customers if that would help.
• Allow breaks to get fresh air as needed.
• Educate employees about the medical nature of fragrance sensitivities and adopt a voluntary fragrance-free option—this can at least reduce the potential for problems in some cases.

Before choosing the best accommodation, it’s important to work with the employee and go through the interactive process required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Find out what problems the employee is having and how these affect the employee’s ability to perform his or her job. Use this information as the basis when considering what reasonable accommodation would be best

About Bridget Miller:

Bridget Miller is a business consultant with a specialized MBA in International Economics and Management, which provides a unique perspective on business challenges. She’s been working in the corporate world for over 15 years, with experience across multiple diverse departments including HR, sales, marketing, IT, commercial development, and training.