HR continually reports employee's perfume even after they stopped wearing it: 'I’ve washed my clothes, washed my hair and made sure to wear no scent'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Sep 27, 2026 10:00 AM EDT

Should you be punished for wearing a scent to work?

We all have different feelings about smells and what we tolerate and what we don't. Some people love a strong smell. They drench themselves in cologne before leaving the house, and that's the way they like it. Others can't stand even a scented lotion. Some of it is physiological. If you're someone who suffers from headaches, or you have allergies, you might have an involuntary physical response to the scent of the folks around you. You can't help it, and you need people to accommodate you. This isn't too much to ask, especially in the workplace. You're allowed to ask for a workplace that doesn't trigger your sensitivities. But sometimes this is just a cover for petty drama, and you can help. 

That's what was happening here, in this story between an employee and other folks in their workplace. They wore a signature scent, and other people in the office had a problem with that. So they did the respectful thing and stopped wearing it. It was a sign of goodwill between her and her coworkers. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the people you work with, even when you don't want to. But the problem was, the complaints didn't stop after she stopped wearing the perfume. She was left wondering whether it was petty workplace drama or whether something else was going on. 

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  • A woman at her desk sneezes into a tissue
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    Models pictured are not representative.

    A woman at her desk sneezes into a tissue

  • I keep getting reported to HR for my perfume but I stopped wearing it?

    On Monday I got pulled to the side by my unofficial manager telling me someone had reported me to HR about my perfume. Cool, no worries I had gotten a new scent I was testing out and was fine to stop wearing it.
    via Aceofdiamonds_17
  • Since then, I've washed all my clothes, washed my hair and made sure to wear no scent at all. Even my lotion is a cocoa butter lotion with little to no scent. Today the manager pulled me aside AGAIN to tell me that the person reported me for a 2nd time?? I'm getting irritated at this point because I've made sure to wear as little scents as possible and not sure what else they want me to do.
    via Aceofdiamonds_17
  • Edit: HR hasn't even reached out to me, it's one of my managers. I'm not sure if they're lying or what. I'm not sure about how HR reaches out to a person. Update: I just saw a man get confronted about wearing shorts in the office so maybe HR is just making things stricter.
    via Aceofdiamonds_17

  • When you're navigating workplace drama, it's not an easy thing to field. You want to protect yourself and your job, but you also want to assert yourself and not just roll over and take whatever comes your way. It's important to stand up for yourself, but not to the point where you're disrespecting anyone else. The employee in this story was trying to strike that balance, but wasn't sure if they were in the wrong or not. Sometimes you need an outside opinion to get a full grasp on something before you can make your final call. Keep reading to see what happened here and decide what you think about it.

  • Commenters gave their opinions and takes on this story.

    IOnly ReadTitles26 Did they smell the perfume on you when they talked to you? What did they say about that?
    via Aceofdiamonds_17
  • Aceofdiamonds_17 OP The manager said it was a petty reason to send me to HR but idk who reported me
    via Aceofdiamonds_17
  • True-Purchase-6103 If they're still smelling a perfume and being genuine and not just petty it could be something else like a migraine aura.
    via Aceofdiamonds_17
  • A woman at her desk puts her head in her hands
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    Models for explanatory purposes only.  


    A woman at her desk puts her head in her hands

  • SequinedandOver60 Unofficial manager? If they are not your manager, you don't even need to listen to them. I would let HR know of what is transpiring. Let them know that the first time you had been talked to, that you
    via Aceofdiamonds_17
  • immediately stopped wearing the perfume and anything else that you have that really makes a scent so you're not sure why that you're still being targeted here. Make sure it's on record. After you meet with HR follow up with an email to confirm what you discussed so you have a paper trail.
    via Aceofdiamonds_17
  • My guess is that this interim manager of yours doesn't like you and is using excuses just to target you
    via Aceofdiamonds_17
  • SassyFerrets ~document everything ~ I know it seems like a petty issue but petty issues can snowball. I would reach out to HR and recap everything using only facts and request next steps: Monday you got pulled aside and told about the issue
    via Aceofdiamonds_17
  • Monday night you cleaned everything and stopped wearing the perfume in an effort to resolve the issue Days later you are getting pulled aside again for this Ask HR to clarify what the rule is, and how best to resolve this.
    via Aceofdiamonds_17
  • MeRubberYouGlue 100% if HR hasn't reached out themselves, then this "unofficial manager" is the one who is complaining. If you are scent free, then that's all you can do. If this person continues to bring up how you smell, and nobody else seems to notice, I'd say you should talk to HR about harassment.
    via Aceofdiamonds_17
  • TinktheChi I would respond to your manager by email and tell them you are not wearing perfume or any other scented product.
    via Aceofdiamonds_17
  • aeraen I had a co-worker who had a severe reaction to any scents and the whole department accepted it. However, she began to use it as a weapon, complaining that someone was causing her to react whenever that person upset her for any reason. Suddenly they'd get a "reminder" about scents, even if they hadn't worn any.
    via Aceofdiamonds_17
  • Coffey2828 You might just be nose blind to the smell. It might me "light" scented to you but overwhelming to everyone else
    via Aceofdiamonds_17
  • rainbowglowstixx Report the complaints to HR. They only care about legal stuff. The perfume doesn't even fall under legal territory. However, you being harassed, is.
    via Aceofdiamonds_17
  • Well Well Wellthennow I would complain to HR someone is harassing you. Say your manager is fielding complaints about you wearing perfume when you don't wear any at all. They can smell you right there.
    via Aceofdiamonds_17
  • However, be aware that shampoo and makeup can have a certain smell. This could also be a case of once someone is sensitized and something on the radar they become hypersensitive to it.
    via Aceofdiamonds_17
  • I hope you told your boss. you don't wear any and ask what is the real source of this complaint? Tell him you feel harassed and that someone behind your back is out to get you.
    via Aceofdiamonds_17

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boss antiwork workplace-stories toxic-workplace job bosses work coworkers working toxic-boss workplace bad bosses toxic-work-environment
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