Caught between empathy and personal freedom, she grapples with the gentle demands of coexistence and the silent voice of doubt that questions if her actions are truly wrong. This is a story of unseen struggles, unspoken boundaries, and the fragile balance of understanding in shared spaces.

I(28f) have been working for the same company for just over two years now and I really like my job and all of my work mates. I have this habit where I drink a breakfast shake every morning.
It contains one banana, 100 grams of strawberries, peanut butter, almond milk and two scoops of protein powder. I keep it in a shaker that can be closed and sip on it throughout the morning.
All was fine until a few weeks ago when a relatively new co worker asked me to please not bring the shake in anymore. I asked why and he said something about textures. I was a bit confused and told him that it’s in my shaker and he doesn’t have to worry about it leaking or anything.
He told me no he’s autistic and the texture of my shake is one of his triggers. I said alright and started keeping the shaker my bag and would only take it out when I had a sip whereas I used to just have it on my desk before.
I though that was good enough because then if said co worker walks into my part of the office he wouldn’t have to look at it.
Well the inevitable happened and he walked in right as I was having a sip. Shocked he asked why I was still bringing the shake. I apologised for having it out right as he was walking in and explained that I usually keep it in my bag now to accommodate him.
He told me that this wasn’t good enough and just knowing that the shake was on the same floor could trigger him. I told him that I was sorry but I wouldn’t change my dietary routine to this extent just because of him.
I’m willing to keep it in my bag but that’s as far as I will go. He said that I should be more inclusive and if I won’t change my behaviour he might have to get HR involved. This happened on Friday and I’m going back to work on Tuesday.
I just want to know if I’m wrong for not accommodating him before I have to face the situation again so I can change if necessary.
Conclusion
The original poster is facing a conflict between maintaining a necessary personal routine (drinking a morning shake) and accommodating a coworker’s stated sensory triggers related to autism. The OP made initial compromises, such as hiding the shake in a bag, but stopped short of completely eliminating the item from the workplace as demanded by the coworker.
Is the OP obligated to stop bringing a specific dietary item to work entirely to prevent triggering a coworker’s sensory sensitivities, or is the OP’s existing effort to contain and conceal the item a reasonable boundary for their own routine?
Here’s how people reacted:
I worked in Disability Support Services while in college, and one student wanted his lectures to be typed out. Okay. Then he wanted his typed handouts and textbook assignments voice-recorded. Umm. Pick a team, dude, was my attitude – but according to the ADA we had to do literally any insane thing he wanted us to do because heeeeee was disaaaaaabled. He was actually a bully and a jerk, even before he was in a wheelchair, but I digress.
Disabled doesn’t confer sainthood. You have made a reasonable accomodation and HR needs to understand that it isn’t YOUR job to smooth HIS path. You are his co-worker, not his boss. You tried to be sensitive to his needs. A shake on the same FLOOR triggers him? How does he manage to pass by all the places that sell shakes and smoothies? He manages just fine and we all know it.
Workplaces have to make reasonable accommodations. Key points in that sentence are reasonable (and his solution doesn’t seem to be) and workplaces (eg it’s not up to him or you to decide what is a reasonable accommodation).
If your work decides it is reasonable for you to not be able to bring your smoothy in anymore, then that is their decision, but you don’t have to do it just because your coworker asks. Especially because for most people what he’s asking isn’t reasonable when there could be other solutions.
Unless you think your company is dysfunctional or toxic you shouldn’t necessarily be worried about him going to HR.
If he can’t perform his duties because he thinks something is on the same floor as him then the issue is with him not you. You have rights just as much as he does.
I worked with a woman who had a smelling sensitivity. No one was allowed to wear perfume and even had to go out of their way to buy hygiene products that were unscented. She had her own designated bathroom.
There’s a limit to what people require.
You’ve been very accommodating. If he tries to push it further take it up with Hr. In the Uk at least the law is for a reasonable adjustment. I’d say you’ve met that perfectly fine. It’s unfair for him to ask for more.
Edit: Thank you for the silver.
I have autism. I can’t touch velvet due to sensory issues. If I worked with you and you decided to bring in a velvet thermos for your shake I wouldn’t give a shit. Because I don’t have to touch it. Your coworker is being entitled. He doesn’t have to touch your shake, so it shouldn’t matter if it is something he can’t touch.
Sensory issue are a real & common thing with autistic people, including feeling textures. But unless you’re forcing him to drink the shake, he’s not experiencing discomfort from the texture of it. He does not get to dictate you only eat things he likes.
You’ve been more than accommodating. “Just knowing it’s on the same floor as me” is a bullshit complaint. Tell him he triggers you and to mind his own fucking business.
Cut him off at the pass, and go to HR and make it known what has happened so far in case he goes in to make a stink.
His texture issues are his to deal with. He *does not* get to demand you change your routine because he can’t deal. Sounds to me like his parents failed in teaching him how to interact with the world.
I think I’d go to HR first and explain to them what’s going on.