Re: Interview from hell

["Comeau, Lisa" <Lisa -dot- Comeau -at- MOH -dot- GOV -dot- ON -dot- CA>]

While I'm in Canada, so I'm not positive about the differences/similarities
on "discrimination on the basis of smell", I am positive that I don't agree
with the following statement...

 <Lisa Miller> Smell, dress, etc can all be overcome.  While training and
skill, etc cannot.

Now, at the expense of disgruntling a 'fellow' Lisa, I must say that in _my_
experience (have to qualify your opinions, don'tcha know - wouldn't want to
speak for the masses...) it is exactly the opposite. In fact, I once shared
a cube with a woman who refused to use deodorant, and wore great amounts of
perfume instead. Two problems with this were that the office was NOT
air-condirtioned, and I am extremely allergic to perfumes.

Fellow employees hinted, we put a "no scents" policy into effect, we spoke
nicely, then forcefully to this person, someone even left deodorant and soap
on her desk to no avail. As a direct result of working with this person, I
lost many hours/days of work because of frequent asthma attacks from her
perfume. She brought the whole team down, and we eventually had to let her
go.

In the second case of training and skill, I have been a trainer for a few
years, and if lack of training and skill can't be overcome, then I have a
sweet job to be getting paid for something "impossible" like training people
and teaching them new skills. Perhaps I am misunderstanding you, Lisa, but
at some tim,e in _all_ our lives, we have learned a new skill, so lack of
knowledge CAN be overcome with willingness, just as lack of soap can be
overcome... ;-)

Lisa Comeau
Accounts Representative, Client Services Group
Y2K/Exchange Project, Ontario Ministry of Health
Office: (416) 327 1112
Pager: (416) 715 9198
mailto: Lisa -dot- Comeau -at- moh -dot- gov -dot- on -dot- ca

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