Co-workers with allergies?

Who here has a co-worker with an extreme allergy that affects everyone?

I work in a building with about 80 people on the floor. Open space, specialty electronics manufacturing.

We got an email last week reminding us that there is a fellow employee who has an extreme allergy to strawberries. Apparently, some woman used a hand lotion that was strawberry scented and he walked by her and instantly broke out in hives and had to go to the ER.

The email basically said that we are encouraged to not bring strawberries to work, nor consume them, or even use anything with artificial strawberry flavoring, which includes fruit drinks, candy, lotions, shampoos, etc.

They even told us that many fruit-flavored products contain strawberry flavors and not list it, so we should avoid all fruit products.

Seems a little extreme to me, to demand 80 people to forego a common fruit, and all fruit products just in case we happen to have to talk to this guy. His job entails him going to all of the different lines to diagnose test equipment, so he could potentially interact with everyone on the floor.

Anyone else have someone at work with a weird allergy that you have to be mindful of?

 

How the hell does artificial strawberry set off a strawberry allergy? I call shenanigans.

We've had to cater to folks with certain food allergies and I don't mind really. Things like pot lucks or going out to eat.

The one that bothers me is catering to picky eaters. It's selfish and affects the team dynamic.

 

Sounds like he needs a tyvex suit. The world doesn't revolve around any one person.

 

On a human to human level if I can do something simple to ensure someone doesn't get sick - like what food I bring somewhere - I'm happy to do it.

I am a happier person when I do things to help others and this one feels easy.

 

I generally agree, but I also keep my personal issues from impacting others as often as possible.

This seems to be an extreme case though. A bit more than not expecting others to be on a diet just because I am. I flip flop on compassion from the outside to how I'd try to handle it myself I were the allergy sufferer.

 

PPE and or a separate area where any portable equipment can be sent for diagnostics. Maybe different working hours if possible.

 

When I fly I like to bring a granola bar or similar as a snack. On one flight they announced that a fellow passenger has an extreme peanut allergy (probably because they ran out of peanuts), I thought, f that person, they should look out for themselves. I didn’t eat my granola bar but geez. Let me, inconvenience everyone.
I’m allergic to bee stings, I don’t ask for their eradication, I don’t play with them. I should carry an epi-pen but rarely do.
You should bring whatever you want for lunch. If your work wants to restrict what you bring, they should feed you lunch.

 

I agree. He's a nice guy and I have no issue avoiding strawberry flavoring and all that. It just seems a bit too extreme in that 80 other people are expected to avoid all fruit drinks and snacks that might possibly contain strawberry flavoring. He's now wearing a special mask to avoid contamination.

 

I feel bad for the guy if he has to go as far as wearing a special mask to work every day. Must be pretty serious. Hope the person learns how to cope with it in time or can be better prepared to manage it.

Yes, it’s a sacrifice for everyone. Probably less than being scared of death by random tasty fruit every time you go out.

I would do the person a solid and just support them. But that’s just me. This might be one of those situations where doing what’s right is more important than rights.

 

Pretty amazing how these bloodlines survive with such ridiculous allergies to basic things.

 

Surely the person could train a couple of other people to be on the floor to handle like 95% of the equipment issues. Especially with cameras and 2 way radios. That would be great for all parties.

 

I'm no scientist, but pretty sure lots of these issues are from not playing outside enough, and not drinking from the hose as a kid.

 

Also a 6 year old could play sandbox Tonka truck alone in their own backyard without someone calling child services.

 

I'm 100% calling shenanigans. Ethyl Methylphenylgylcidate is the chemical that makes the artificial strawberries taste like artificial strawberries. The compound is 0% found in real strawberries.

This is why I hate HR departments; they freak out and send out emails while doing absolutely no research.

 

and most likely our toxic food supply/way too many vaccines given to babies

my daughter is allergic to milk and eggs. My outlook, its up to the allergic person to look out for themselves. It sucks, but thats life

 

I know what Im wearing on casual Friday.

 

Sorry OP if this is a little off topic, but this discussion just brought back some awesome memories. When we were kids, when we came down with chicken pox, the whole rest of the family would gather all the kids together in the same place so that they could all get it together and over with. Old School.

 

This thread poses a question that is at the heart of many arguments today- and it is about who deserves which rights (which is a ridiculous thing to even argue).

Is it that difficult to just be conscious of what another person might need? Maybe it’s a simple thing you could do to help another person be ok for another day- something as simple as avoiding a strawberry scented thing. I can’t believe I’m even typing that. It’s embarrassing to me that people wouldn’t just do it automatically. It’s not that hard.

I take it that none of your kids have a peanut allergy. Mine don’t either and I’m lucky that they are healthy. That doesn’t stop me from teaching my kids to look out for others.

I guess the question is “how far does it go?”. Lots of “tough” comments on here proclaiming that this allergy is BS or that this person is weak and therefore worthless. That is both cruel and ignorant. There are people that take advantage of others by making things up, but let’s not use that as a way to dismiss all marginalized and disadvantaged people.

How far should we let that go? Who exactly shouldn’t we make room for? I’m sorry but after witnessing the racism, misogyny, and hatred of people that are different in this country it’s hard for me to accept any more ignorance.

In this case, there is applicable science to this person’s problem. Yes, it’s actually pretty easy to accommodate your coworker, but you have to understand that you’re trying to validate your comfort against someone’s safety. What would you do if that was your kid?

 

Did you need a stool to get up on that high horse?

 

You sure hit a lot of buzz words:
- marginalized
- disadvantaged
- racism
- misogyny
- hatred
- ignorance
- science

When we're just talking about strawberries...
I thought I was watching the View there for a second.

Is that science good enough for ya?

 

So, yeah the smell of scented lotion causing causing extreme hives is a bit out there. Not sure what to think of that, this person should wear a mask then and probably shouldn’t have a job interacting with other people. Thats like, very extreme if true.

Extreme allergies are tough though. Have a nephew with them. Kid was born with them though and he is his number advocate at the age of 5 watching out for himself and knowing what’s safe. Most people are there number one advocate and no how to navigate life with it because they have been doing it for so long.

it would be one thing to ask not to bring dishes to a potluck that contain strawberry, ( if I was dude I wouldn’t eat anything I didn’t make) but to ask not to bring some strawberries so you can enjoy personally is ridiculous. That adult should be on the look out. Kids are another story. But I agree everyone should be aware so they conscious of his allergy.

 

All the tough guy “deal with it” attitudes on here and the response of “it’s their problem” is what’s wrong with this country…. We’re supposed to look out for each other and help each other out, we are all so damn selfish these days it’s gross.

I have an employee who’s got celiac disease and traveling with him is super hard, but I feel for the guy and do everything I can to accommodate. When he gets “dosed” he’s out for 2 weeks and sick as a dog.

I personally have a major major fish allergy, fine with shellfish. I work in the fly fishing industry and fish are my life, just can’t eat the damn things or I’ll die. When I travel to remote destinations in other countries EVERYONE is super accommodating and they are on top of the allergy, no one wants to see someone get air vac’d out of the Amazon for something easily avoidable.

Luckily my kids don’t have any food allergies, but I can damn sure tell you that our friends with kids who have them live on the edge a lot of times and all the “tough guys” on here spouting off about it would be singing a far different tune if their loved ones had a major allergy.

 

Yeah, my nephew is anaphylactic to a few different things. It’s terrifying stuff and very serious.

in my opinion, the situation OP described, something’s seems off.- a guy on the internet.

 

You may very well be right about something being off- not all of us are honest equally. It’s hard to know what’s right every time, but it’s easy to at least listen.
My dad once told me some old Greek proverb that that I always keep in mind. Roughly translated it’s: If god answered the prayers of the crows, all the livestock would drop dead”.
It’s good to know other’s perspectives when deciding what’s right for a situation.

 

I am that person.

However, I’m not THAT bad. I can smell you eating a peanut butter sandwich from 50 feet away though.

 

Quick google search of strawberry allergy indicates you kind of have to eat or come into contact with it. Apparently the human body can be allergic to pollen and some fruits confuse the body when you have an allergy to pollen - but you would have to come into contact with the enzymes, not the smell. Now I am an internet doctor.

 

The idea that someone is allergic to a strawberry scented lotion makes zero sense

 

Yes, they may have a “sensitivity” to it though.