Curious if I should quit my job

[ohmichael]

Just got a new job working at a grocery chain, never worked grocery before. Mon (19th) and Thur (22nd) started feeling flu-like, realized I had probably been glutened at work but not sure how, didn't eat it! Found out I probably breathed in loads of it while handling bread and flour products stocking shelves on those 2 dates. I am in pain, but I don't have a back-up plan and I can't keep damaging my body. I tried to ask for a reasonable accom. but the manager says it would be an undue burden because i have to avoid two aisles. I am sad because i liked this job to start but now I'm really going through it. Today I didn't stock bakery or baking aisle and I was just starting to come out of it, now the symptoms are starting up again.

I live w my parents and they don't understand or care to understand. I will be unemployed while I search for something new, but I am damaging my body in this current job and they can't switch me anywhere because I'm part time and a new hire. Should I trust my intuition and quit, and then apply for jobs outside of my home so my parents believe I am still going to work (until I finally find a job that doesn't handle gluten)?

[trents]

Yes, IMO, you need to quit and look for another job. You can't put a price on your health. It's unfortunate that your parents don't understand but they don't have to live with the ravages of unattended celiac disease. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do and just be willing to live with the fact that some people will not understand. I don't know your age but that's being an adult and taking ownership of your life.

Edited May 28 by trents

[ohmichael]

Thank you. They said I'm gonna be kicked out but I have to find somewhere else to live anyway.

[trents]

Sounds like for the good of your own mental health its time to find another living space anyway. It may be best for everyone concerned.

[RMJ]

Could you wear a mask at work to reduce your inhalation of flour?

[Russ H]

ohmichael, do you know that you've reacted to gluten? We all get ups and downs in health - a mild viral infection one week and maybe an unset stomach another time. It is easy to ascribe the symptoms to gluten exposure even when that is not the cause of the symptoms. I would wait and see if it happens again before giving up your job, especially if you don't have another one to go to.

[ohmichael]

hey all thank you for your responses.

RMJ: Yes I am going to go and buy some N95 masks for work, and I think my employer will reimburse me. I can't re-use them for the maximum 5 reuses unfortunately because I am very sensitive and when I get home I have to wash all my clothes and immediately take a shower. Thank you for your suggestion!

Russ H: I have never been formerly diagnosed, and I completely understand the possibility of this being a mild viral infection. I went to get tested for Influenza/COVID and both came back negative, my Primary Care Manager told me it could be a cold. That is always a possibility, however, I have been glutened at restaurants before (5 known exposures within the last 7 years) and the way in which my body gets sick, I can kind of tell them apart from one another if that makes sense. For instance, being gluten-sick for some can be described as flu-like symptoms, and when I get sick with gluten it comes on slower than when I have the flu or COVID. Typically starts out with headache, brain fog, and since I believe I ingested it working with flour (airborne) postnasal drip was one of the first to come along after my exposure as well. Another thing is that I have not quite had a fever but elevated temp (99 Fahrenheit) which is typical for me when I get ill with gluten exposure, followed by aches, sore body, stomach Hell, etc. This is the first time I have ever dealt with it in an airborne setting, but the onset of symptoms are all familiar. I think it is also possible that I am more susceptible to a cold now having been exposed to gluten. I don't have/can't afford private insurance currently and the agency I get my healthcare from works in dubious ways to prevent themselves from having to provide disability payments to veterans, as Celiacs/NCGS is a service connected disability. Everything for the state. Thank you for your comment, it has not fallen on deaf ears.

I wanted to thank you all for your concern and time in writing to me; I'm trying to make sense of this because I like this job a lot (very short commute too) and I don't want to quit but constantly exposing myself to gluten is making me more ill, and damaging my immune system. I am still sick writing this. Plan moving forward: I am going to see how the N95 mask work for me, and I will be looking for a job that does not involve handling or being exposed to gluten in the workplace. I truly didn't think this job would be an issue since I was not eating any of the gluten.

Thanks again all! I'm happy that I found this forum.

[ohmichael]

formally*, masks*

[trents]

Of course, what you breathe in eventually winds up in the gut because it gets trapped in the mucous lining of the airway and throat.

[Scott Adams]

I give this advice to everyone who is considering quitting their job: always try to line up a new job before you quit. Why? Because it's easier to find a job when you have one--unemployment for a stretch of time can be hard to explain, especially if the period of unemployment is prolonged. Also, unless you're independently wealthy or have family support, people tend to get desperate and take any job when the money is running out, so you could end up in a worse job. Just my 2 cents...

[ohmichael]

Thank you both for your input!

trents: yes I completely agree, it's simple anatomy. The walk-in doctor I saw even said to me, "you cannot get exposure or get sick if it only got in your respiratory system" to which I replied, "If I inhaled it, it's in the mucous I swallow that leads to my gut." I was honestly baffled I had to explain that to her. Thanks for your comments!

Scott Adams: Thanks for your advice, yes I agree I think that's ultimately what I have to do especially while times are getting tougher in this current economy! Hopefully I find something new and equitable or better, in a quick manner!

Please send prayers and best wishes for me to find a new job quickly, I wore the N95 masks today and it seems like I'm gonna be okay but I literally have to hazmat wash my clothes and myself when I get home. I think my current exposure will have time to recover while I'm wearing the masks at work. Thank you all again!

[Scott Adams]

Wishing you lots of luck--let us know how it turns out!

[DebD5]

On 5/27/2025 at 7:13 PM, ohmichael said:

Just got a new job working at a grocery chain, never worked grocery before. Mon (19th) and Thur (22nd) started feeling flu-like, realized I had probably been glutened at work but not sure how, didn't eat it! Found out I probably breathed in loads of it while handling bread and flour products stocking shelves on those 2 dates. I am in pain, but I don't have a back-up plan and I can't keep damaging my body. I tried to ask for a reasonable accom. but the manager says it would be an undue burden because i have to avoid two aisles. I am sad because i liked this job to start but now I'm really going through it. Today I didn't stock bakery or baking aisle and I was just starting to come out of it, now the symptoms are starting up again.

I live w my parents and they don't understand or care to understand. I will be unemployed while I search for something new, but I am damaging my body in this current job and they can't switch me anywhere because I'm part time and a new hire. Should I trust my intuition and quit, and then apply for jobs outside of my home so my parents believe I am still going to work (until I finally find a job that doesn't handle gluten)?

I 100% believe if you were sticking gluten items, especially flour, and breathed it in you could be glutened. I’m a celiac for almost 30 years. For the first ten years as a celiac I’d help my polish family make pierogis at Christmas time. I would only cook them at the stove and I didn’t touch anything with my hands using spoons. But the flour is in the air. And I’d get violently ill for 1-2 weeks after the last few years I did it. Wearing a back is a great suggestion and washing your clothes and showering when you get home. Good luck. And I’m so sorry your parents are emotionally supporting you. 

[Beverage]

"Celiac disease can be considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) if it substantially limits one or more major life activities, including working. Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, which may include modifications to the work environment or adjustments in work schedules to accommodate the dietary needs of employees with celiac disease."

So until you find a new job, I would think your current employer can and should and is legally required to accommodate you by not having you stock flour products. There's a lot more other work that needs to be done in a grocery. 

Speak with them, be honest, tell them your plans, ask for their cooperation until you can find another job.

[trents]

48 minutes ago, Beverage said:

"Celiac disease can be considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) if it substantially limits one or more major life activities, including working. Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, which may include modifications to the work environment or adjustments in work schedules to accommodate the dietary needs of employees with celiac disease."

So until you find a new job, I would think your current employer can and should and is legally required to accommodate you by not having you stock flour products. There's a lot more other work that needs to be done in a grocery. 

Speak with them, be honest, tell them your plans, ask for their cooperation until you can find another job.

@ohmichael doesn't have an official diagnosis of celiac disease yet. That would need to happen if he were to pursue a disability claim.

[Scott Adams]

I'm in the "never reveal your plans to the enemy" camp on this one--it's none of their business if you're looking for another job, so I would leave that out of any conversation. Also, retaliation can be common with some employers, especially if you bring up the ADA and claim a disability because of celiac disease. I was a corporate paralegal for 5 years and handled employment claims against some major USA companies, and I've seen it all--even by huge companies that contract with the government and should know better. I say keep your cards close to your vest, wear an N95 mask if you handle wheat flour, and quietly look for another job if you feel you can't continue there. 

Oh, and when I say "enemy," I mean that unscrupulous managers may quickly become your enemy, even if the law is on your side, and they could find trivial reasons to give you the 3 quick warnings that may be necessary to fire you. Very few lawyers would take such a case on a contingency basis, so unless you have a stockpile of money, you'd have no recourse. 

[knitty kitty]

@ohmichael,

Have you tried contacting your state's Employment Services?   There should be job opportunities and training programs especially for previous service members and veterans.  

Look into trade schools.  Some offer training programs which provide scholarships and housing, and possible employment after completion.  Some scholarships are funded by employers looking for specifically trained employees.

Choose a career path in something you enjoy doing.  

I agree with @Scott Adams.  Play your cards close to your chest.  Get your ducks in a row before discussing leaving the gluten aisle where you work now.  Managers can and will fire you really easily, like Scott said.  

Prayers and Best Wishes sent.  Keep us posted on your progress!