To not speak to my team member who is spraying perfume in work bathroom?

[Fedupcolleague]

I manage a small team, unfortunately there’s a couple of them who despite being grown adults always seem to find various child like gripes which they ask me to get involved in sorting.

The latest one is today. In one of my teams 1:1’s they said they have witnessed a named colleague spraying perfume in the air in the bathroom whenever they have been to the loo. They say they are uncomfortable raising this themselves and asked that I speak to them and make clear it was an anonymous comment to me.

I find this ridiculous and haven’t committed to mentioning it. Would I be unreasonable to tell her I won’t be saying anything?

Triggering reactive airway disease via use of fine propellants is a real concern. I would either:
post a sign saying “please refrain from spraying any products in the air” keep it broad and simple

send an email saying the same

if this isn’t effective speak one to one with employee spraying the product and ask her to cease based on verbalized health concerns.

i had this in my medical office. We all knew exactly who was spraying products in the closed in bathroom in the closed in locker room. It was a heavy “apple orchard” fragrance very distinctive. The “sprayer” had health concerns of her own but she did comply

younger people are very opposed to use of microfine propellants found in cleaning products and air fresheners.

I don't quite understand all the other responses. 1) if it's a medical issue presumably the complaining colleague could use the disabled loo, leaving others to use the toilet as they wish. And 2) please don't send a group email it'll only get everyone gossiping about the whole thing and potentially embarrass the person doing it and have everyone wondering who said something

Is there an extractor fan? Is it automatic?

I'd probably just keep the loo stocked up with the occasional bottle of VIPoo or Febreeze to be honest. You could make a little basket of sanitary towels, tampons and hand cream if you wanted to make it a bit more subtle.

YADNBU for refusing to get involved in passing on anonymous complaints about a squirt of perfume TBH.

I agree with this

perfume being sprayed triggers asthma and migraines for me. Fun.

I wonder if some sort of v.i.poo spray might help mask smells at home I always give the loo a quick squirt with lemon based cleaner just before flushing and that really seems prevent stinky smells.

They need to speak to the other person directly. This isn’t a management issue it’s a personal one.

Very childish. This need to speak to her themselves if they have a problem. It’s not manger’s role to run around like mum telling everyone off

I once went for a facial and had recently applied perfume. The facialist had a real problem with that, we had to open the window etc.

So some people are affected by perfume.

some perfumes cause me to gave an asthma attack so I totally understand not wanting it sprayed in an enclosed space which I need access to

And I'd support a clear firm message from management if that were to be the case for the OP's company.

It's not. The complainant has been asked and has communicated that they don't have a medical condition.

They have expressed a preference - fair enough, but that's all it is. Their preference doesn't trump other people's preferences.

I don't like breathing in synthetic fragrances, but where I work there is a mystery shitter, and no extractor fan or window. A quick spray of odor neutralizer is far easier to stomach for me than gut rot. Again, if somebody in my office had a physical issue with fragrances, I would support them 100%. But in the OP's case, nobody does.

If it's an allergy or medical issue (even without being a disability) it is absolutely covered by the health and safety at work act.

Put some poo pourri spray in there, it’s sprayed in the toilet so less offensive to anyone and works better

But another poster has stated they are covered under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Either way, if an employee has raised an issue that someone spraying perfume around the communal toilets is having an adverse effect on their health, I don't see the issue with sending out a general email asking other employees to refrain for doing so. I'd rather err on the side of caution myself than have to deal with the headache of a grievance or complaint being made to HR.

Maybe the complainer is annoyed that the person spraying perfume is insinuating that she leaves the toilet stinking 😁

Well that wouldn't be an issue, would it? As the spraying would happen after the complainer had been in the loo.

as a manager I would tell them that I don’t have conversations unrelated to work on their behalf and remind them that staff member has every right to spray perfume also it would be wise to find their own coping methods (as they have no health issue)

tbh ime complaints like this come from bullies who use complaints to attempt to gain some power in the workplace. Generally I would be more concerned the complainant is bullying the perfume sprayer by proxy than worry about their nose

I wouldn’t be in the slightest concerned about a grievance or HR complaint. HR aren’t there to sort out their smell nuisances either.

But in the OP's case it is not.

as a manager I would tell them that I don’t have conversations unrelated to work on their behalf and remind them that staff member has every right to spray perfume also it would be wise to find their own coping methods (as they have no health issue)

I'm not getting this "they have no health issue" take on the matter. They don't have a diagnosed medical condition but the employee has told the OP that the smell "gets to her lungs". She is indicating she is having an adverse health response to the perfume spraying. She isn't saying she wants the perfume spraying to cease simply because she doesn't like it.

I'm not saying I would believe it either if there is a history of sniping and backbiting between OP's reports. But that doesn't mean she can just wipe her hands of the matter because her personal view is that the employee is "jealous".

It is a medical issue (or so she claims). She says it's affecting her lungs.

The way you people act, you’d think perfume was a literal biohazard and not a normal day to day substance that has limited impact to others.

I'm asthmatic. People spraying perfumes liberally around the place would adversely affect me, though unlikely to trigger an actual attack. My late sibling was life-threateningly allergic to many substances, none of them "literal biohazards".

Of course she can wipe her hands of it. Line managers aren’t there to make
sure staff are happy with the facilities and every day behaviour of others at work.

“getting to her lungs” is a meaningless phrase- obviously it isn’t possible and doesn’t have any real meaning, particularly medically.

In what way is it affecting her lungs? How would she know?

Be careful thoughm As silly as you think complaint is that person can go higher than you if you don't do anything