Bell Canada bans poinsettias from its largest Ontario office

[Locutus]

due to one worker’s allergy



Thank gawd eh.


One worker’s allergy has triggered a ban on holiday poinsettias at a large Mississauga office complex.

Six thousand employees at Bell Canada’s Creekbank campus were warned in an internal memo Monday there would be “random inspections for poinsettias and other plants.”

“Please make sure all personal plants on desks and other office areas are also removed by Dec. 21,” the memo by property manager Nexacor said. “Any plants found after Dec. 21 will be removed and disposed of without further notification.”

Bell Canada issued the ban at the campus, which consists of three interconnected buildings, because the employee could have a life-threatening reaction.


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Bell Canada bans poinsettias from its largest Ontario office due to one worker

 

[petros]

Canola gives me intense headaches but ya know what? There isn't an antihistimine shortage in Canada so CHA-CHING!!!

Suck it up poinsettia cup.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

We had a ban on oranges on our floor due to somebody having a possible anafalactic reaction. Most schools ban peanuts.

Not sure what the big deal is.

 

[captain morgan]

Wonder how long it will take for Ma Bell to outlaw peanuts and all the byproducts from their offices?

 

[Johnnny]

A world without peanut butter would be worse than a world without zinc

 

[EagleSmack]

Poinsettias represent Christmas. That is my guess. The Massachusetts RMV is pathetic when it comes to customer service. This week a customer was offended by a Christmas tree and immediately all signs of Christmas were removed state wide from the DMVs.

 

[Ron in Regina]

From the O.P.:

“Please make sure all personal plants on desks and other office areas are also removed by Dec. 21,” the memo by property manager Nexacor said. “Any plants found after Dec. 21 will be removed and disposed of without further notification.”

Really? How did Pointsttias become "all personal plants" above???

 

[L Gilbert]

due to one worker’s allergy



Thank gawd eh.


One worker’s allergy has triggered a ban on holiday poinsettias at a large Mississauga office complex.

Six thousand employees at Bell Canada’s Creekbank campus were warned in an internal memo Monday there would be “random inspections for poinsettias and other plants.”

“Please make sure all personal plants on desks and other office areas are also removed by Dec. 21,” the memo by property manager Nexacor said. “Any plants found after Dec. 21 will be removed and disposed of without further notification.”

Bell Canada issued the ban at the campus, which consists of three interconnected buildings, because the employee could have a life-threatening reaction.


more


Bell Canada bans poinsettias from its largest Ontario office due to one worker

I wonder what they'd do if someone was allergic to plastics.

From the O.P.:



Really? How did Pointsttias become "all personal plants" above???

Wood comes from a plant. So does paper.

 

[Cliffy]

Poinsettias are poisonous plants and people should be warned to keep them where children can't play with them. It is not surprising that some people would be allergic. A perfect plant to represent Xmas.

 

[karrie]

Poinsettias are poisonous plants and people should be warned to keep them where children can't play with them. It is not surprising that some people would be allergic. A perfect plant to represent Xmas.

very few houseplants are not poisonous. Poinsettias are no worse than most.

 

[L Gilbert]

Poinsettias are poisonous plants and people should be warned to keep them where children can't play with them. It is not surprising that some people would be allergic. A perfect plant to represent Xmas.

Yeah, Bell has loads of kids running around eating pet weeds.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Yeah, Bell has loads of kids running around eating pet weeds.

I would believe Bell has lots of people doing something with weed but probably not kids or eating.

 

[Tonington]

We have a similar policy in our office. The corporation has embraced shared open spaces. A colleague of mine in the US sits across from the North American head honcho. No fragrances, including plants. I'm surprised that we don't have a list yet of food allergens, considering the amount of potlucks we have for Halloween and Christmas etc.

I'm surprised Bell didn't already have a policy like this.

 

[CDNBear]

I'm surprised Bell didn't already have a policy like this.

probably because the specialists all say the chances of a reaction are "extremely unlikely".

 

[Tonington]

probably because the specialists all say the chances of a reaction are "extremely unlikely".

It's pretty well established that in the majority of cases, the symptoms are coming from psychological reactions rather than something in the person's physiology. It's complicated because there isn't a reliable diagnostic test for many odours. Even still, that doesn't make the loss of productivity from a business stand point any less real. Let's be real, that is the real reason a corporation makes a policy like 'no-scent workplace' in the first place. Loss time or less productive time go to the bottom line.

That's why I find this surprising.

 

[SLM]

From the O.P.:



Really? How did Pointsttias become "all personal plants" above???

In an admitted error on their part.

Langton confirmed a “no live plant policy” exists at the campus, but said it’s never enforced and was left over from moving thousands of workers into the building when it opened a few years ago.
“It was there to make the move easier, but many people have plants now,” said Langton, adding Nexacor’s memo wrongly included the unenforced policy.

 

[CDNBear]

It's pretty well established that in the majority of cases, the symptoms are coming from psychological reactions rather than something in the person's physiology.

They should seek mental help.

Loss time or less productive time go to the bottom line.

Replace them with someone that isn't an imposition on 5999 other people.

 

[Tonington]

Replace them with someone that isn't an imposition on 5999 other people.

That costs more. Like I said, it's about the bottom line.

 

[CDNBear]

That costs more. Like I said, it's about the bottom line.

It's a wash. New employee = no lost time, no imposition.

 

[karrie]

They should seek mental help.

Replace them with someone that isn't an imposition on 5999 other people.

I think if you had to stand and stare me in the face and say 'you have to leave because it's too hard for Marjory to give up hr ivy', you'd come to realize why employers make these concessions. There are certain scents that for whatever reason, make some people horridly ill. My brother in law gets crippling migraines from lilies. He doesnt call it an allergy. Its not an allergy. But its not a mental problem either.