Legal Question in Disability Law in Georgia
Hypersensitivity and the ADA
Under what conditions is hypersensitivity to scents (colognes, perfumes, etc) used by coworkers covered under the ADA and what would be "reasonable accomodations' under this disability?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Hypersensitivity and the ADA
You're putting the cart before the horse. The
ADA is for handicapped folks. Under ADA,
you must show that because of your handicap, you
cannot perform THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF YOUR JOB.
Then you must show that you NOTIFIED your
employer that you need a REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
in order to be able to perform those essential functions.
(Some states
say that if your medical problem can be controlled
by medicine, then your problem is not the
type covered by ADA.)
Because you have not stated what your problem is,
I'm going to assume you get terrible headaches
from the mixture of odors but probably can still
perform the essential functions of your job . . . although not happily or comfortably.
Do you feel nauseous from the combined smell?
If you can demonstrate that whatever you are suffering from qualifies you as a handicapped person for the purposes of
this statute.
then your employer must provide a reasonable accommodation.
You might have an OSHA claim, given the mixture of odors.
You also have not said what type of industry you
are working in:" a factory assembly line, a
department store, a school cafeteria, an
accounting department with rows of desks. That would be important to determine the type of accommodation which is reasonable and can be suppled by your employer.
It would be best to go to a local attorney and
fill in all the missing facts you hesitated to
put in your post here.