Talk to The Work Buzz! Contest: Ask us a question about co-workers

It is interesting to me that our growing intolerance in America has now spread to include our assumed inalienable right to demand preference on "workplace" smells.

Obviously, some folks need to work at a meat processing plant for a while. Of course, those people would be "allergic" to such work (probably because they are allergic to work...period.

As a...what'd they call it last week in the news..."retro guy" I think (defined as guys who prefer getting in touch with their inner man to getting in touch with their inner girl), I appreciate the investment a lady is willing to make in her frangrance and appearance.

Personally I buy and wear Old Spice, which was my Dad's signature scent, although for a different reason. He did not wear designer fragrances because he could not afford them. I, on the other hand, do not feel justified putting a designer fragrance on a drugstore face.

My experience in the workplace these days is that people are paranoid about EVERYTHING. It is true that being paranoid doesn't mean that someone isn't really out to get you, but I think today's whinoceros I-wanna-live-in-a-bubble-and-draw-pay-for-it (scratch that. Make it...I-want-everyone-else-to-live-in-a- bubble-while-I-draw-overtime-to-control-their- impact-on-my-environment) generation should really worry about people with B.O.

After all, body order is incontrovertible evidence that bacteria are having a serious, and perhaps contagious party on that person's body. No one likes the smell of B.O. disguised by perfume, but a good scrubbing followed with tastefully applied smellum says, "Hey, over here, I'm clean."

It is more than a sad assumption among whinoceri that they are entitled to dictate everyone else's lifestyle to suit their overwhelmingly annoying sensitivities. If assumption is the mother of all screw-ups, they are making the mother of all assumptions.

Forgive me if I have stepped on anyone's nose (scratch that. Make it...toes).

Yours for a clean-shaven, good-smellin' world,

Spizerinktum

I know someone who never hired anyone that wore perfume or cologne heavy enough that it could be detected across the desk. Let's face it, perfume/cologne should leave a slight hint not bombard someone. I've been places that if I stand next to someone at a function I leave the party smelling like their perfume/cologne.
I also get very ill.

I rarely respond to articles/blog but I had to when I read this. I work as a nurse and our nurse's station is very small. Often there are so many disciplines (Doc, S.W,'s etc.) present there is not room to sit. Most of my co-workers are respectful and do not wear heavy scents; however, one of my co-workers actually heats aromatherapy in the nurse's station. In addition, she sets up several fans, opens an office window (doesn't matter if it's 20 degrees or 95 degrees) and runs humidifiers. She works evenings and weekends so the management is not present. I suffer from migraines and the aromatherapy is my biggest trigger. I have mentioned this to her and eventually to management. She will then stop the aromatherapy for a couple of weeks but then re-starts it. My opinion is if you like aromatherapy and perfume enjoy it in the privacy of your own home; perfumes/scents are highly personal and what one person loves another may find intolerable.

Have you thought, maybe, you're too old for facebook or myspace? If you haven't...I'd sugguest that you do. You'll probably realize that you are and then, poof, problem solved. Grow up Peter Pan. You're an adult now, welcome to the real world.

I am deathly allergic to tobacco smoke. Even heavy on furniture ot clothing sickens me. The article said we have a right to breath. Is this the same situation if a co-workers has horrible BO?

How do you tell your boss he'she has no back bone - or else they would enforce dress codes, work ethic rules, smoking break rules, etc. There is one person who works in my office who comes to work every single day looking a mess! Hair oily and matted, no make-up on her scary, pimpled face, clothes wrinkled and stinky. She takes a 10 minute smoke break every hour and walks about talking to everybody instead of doing any work. Funny enough, she's dressed up and hair and make-uped to the hilt on Saturday night! Monday morning sees the remnants of the smeared mascara on her face....

I have a co-worker, who is a FMLA abuser. I know this, because I can hear her discuss pre-meditated days off, when her grown kids need her to baby sit (whether it's them, or their kids). I started paying attention, and realized, that she was calling out on the days following her conversations with her adult kids. She calls out, at least once a week, and she only works 4 days a week.
Plus, she has FMLA on her husband.
I realize she is protected by Federal Laws, but we all know she is abusing it.
What &/or how can we deal with it?

How to improve working relationship with someone within the organization whose personal traits are not that healthy among other colleagues?

How do you ask for a raise that you feel you deserve, if you have not completed all of your goals in your performance review?

Be up front and honest. You are not interested in hanging out in a Social environment, nothing personal. You don't like to mix business and pleasure

How do you handle a co-worker who does the bare minimum and their work gradually comes to you. Granted, in a medical environment and I'm already overwhelmed?

What is the best way to decline a co-worker's social networking request?