Mike Smith said:
It is the cartridge type respirator and yes it does scare other employees. They think he knows something they do not know. I have also had potential customers ask the same question? Why is this employee wearing a respirator? I then have to explain that it is not required. Then I wonder if they think we do not run a tight ship. It just creates problems when there should be none.
I don't like to get accused of knee jerk psychoanalysis, but this behavior smacks of behavior of folks who line their caps with aluminum or copper foil. My hope is there is a better cause and solution.
This is a situation which could blow up in your face (in more ways than one!)
My suggestion is to require a full physical and mental checkup of the employee to determine fitness for work. Arbitrary dismissal "could" trigger a suit for failure to abide by "employees with disabilities" accommodation laws.
If and when the bill of health is clear, the problem may disappear.
There could be many valid reasons for an employee to justify this behavior, ranging from asthma, allergies, family history of emphesyma, etc. This may come out in the health screening and gain a result which could allay the fears of coworkers who feel they are being abused by being kept in the dark.
The kind of things that could bite you in the butt might be an employee who has an immunity deficiency as a result of some underlying physical malady, but who is loathe to disclose the underlying condition.
Bottom line:
This is a really complicated problem, not some simple
"Do it my way or the highway!" judgment call, because of the potential repercussions for the organization.