AITA for not accommodating an autistic co-worker?
In a quiet office, where friendships and routines intertwine, a simple breakfast shake becomes the center of an unexpected conflict.
A woman cherishes her morning ritual, a blend of comfort and nourishment, unaware that the very texture she savors stirs a deep discomfort in a colleague who navigates the world through the lens of autism.
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.
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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 d*etary 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?
Users Wasted No Time Telling It Like It Is:
It didn’t take long before the comment section turned into a battleground of strong opinions and even stronger emotions.