Smells At The Work Place

popcorn
smoke
perfume

It's 3pm on Thursday.

After a week of 10 hour days, you hear the tell-tale sound of the microwave door clanging shut, followed by the pop-pop-poppopopopopopppopoppopopopoppopopopopop-pop   pop  pop     pop.

If you're at work, then you have a a very old-fashioned office because every IT office I've worked in for the past 10 years has had a strict policy about popcorn in the office.

Why?

I've heard a variety of reasons, like it gets stuck in the floor, but the really reason, it turns out, is because popcorn is distracting in the office, according to HR.

It's the smell.

It distracts people from their work because of the smell.

Of course, that's not the only smell that's disallowed in the workplace.

Perfume- that's illegal, too, now.  (and that one, I understand after being fumigated in the elevator by the lady who showers in cologne.)

But, the SMELLIEST, most distracting odor, is definitely cigarette smoke.  ESPECIALLY in the winter.  Since smoking is not allowed in the office, people sit in their cars soaking up the toxins in their cars before walking in to the office.

...and then they go out every hour and refresh the smell.

Why isn't that illegal?

The smell of alcohol on your clothes will get you fired.

The smell of BO will get you a talking to.

So, why not tobacco?

And what's worse is this:  when workers come to your house- why can't you demand a smoke-free worker?  It's your F-ing home!

Instead, you're expected to allow these smoke bombs into your house to poison your air for days on end.

I guess the tobacco industry has a humongous grip on HR policies.

Bigger than Redenbacher, anyway.