Posted by permission and with EHN's heartfelt thanks! May the following help others gain accommodation in their workplace, schools, healthcare facilities, in their places of worship, on public transit, in government agencies ... -- barb; webposted January 2001 From: _[Office Manager]______ Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2000 To: Employees of [Name of organization] Subject: perfume I am sorry to have to request this but here goes... I am requesting that [Name of organization] be a fragrance free workplace (whereas before I requested people to be more subtle with their fragrances). Certain perfumes contain highly toxic chemicals, albeit in small quantities, which some people react to. Some of the more common symptoms include headaches, nausea, sinus trouble, light headedness, reduced concentration. Yesterday several people experienced such symptoms. It is hard to know what the cause of this is, perfume in the office yesterday or people coming down with the latest round of flu. While not everyone knows if they react to perfumes, over the years people (including myself) have expressed problems with certain perfumes and I would now like to make a strong plea for all those inclined to wear perfume to not do so in the workplace. I know perfume seems like a personal preference but if it affects another's working environment it unfortunately becomes a public issue. Thank you very much for your consideration and restraint. Please come and talk with me directly if you have any problems or questions with my request. Thank you, [Name of Office Manager]