Gluten-free boss pressured to eat Girl Scout cookies from coworker's daughter: 'You should not be forced to buy something you can't even consume'

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Jan 21, 2025 4:00 PM EST

Whatever happened to respecting people's dietary restrictions in the workplace? Typically, we're accustomed to situations in which bosses unfairly pressure employees, but in this instance, we have an employee who tried to guilt his new boss into purchasing and eating Girl Scout cookies that she couldn't consume because of a serious gluten-free allergy.

First of all, if someone does not want to eat something and politely declines, there should be no obligation on their part to explain themselves or justify their choices. Questioning someone's diet, especially in the workplace, is also a no-no. Again, these are all concepts that should be second nature, and yet, clearly, not all folks think twice in the office these days.

Keep scrolling below for this manager's story and for the reactions from folks who took her side in the matter!

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    Cheezburger Image 10456390144
    via Darren Halstead

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Let's start by putting ourselves in this new manager's shoes. She was just finding her footing within the company and did not quite have that many allies just yet. When a coworker tried to get her to purchase his daughter's Girl Scout cookies, she tried to explain to him that she wasn't going to eat them because of a gluten-free allergy. The coworker did not seem to take her reasoning seriously and interpreted her refusal to purchase said cookies as an offense. After all, in his eyes, their last manager always purchased boxes upon boxes of his daughter's Girl Scout cookies every year. This is when the back-and-forth escalated into a problem, and surprisingly, the other coworkers in the office did not take the gluten-free manager's side.

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    I (36F) am a new manager at my office. I started about 4 months ago, and while I've been trying to get to know my team, I still don't have all the dynamics figured out.
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    One of my team members recently asked me to buy Girl Scout cookies from his daughter and I said I couldn't because I have celiac disease which makes me allergic to the cookies. He
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    suggested I purchase a box and give it to a friend or family member because it would mean a lot to him and his kid. The conversation continued back and forth but we didn't argue so I thought everything was fine
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    between us. Then I find out that he's been talking behind my back about how bad of a manager I am because I'm "stubborn and stingy". Apparently their previous
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    manager used to buy a lot of cookies so I look mean in comparison. I'm not close enough with my other coworkers (besides the one who told me about the gossip) to talk to them
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    about this, but I get the impression they're on his side because one of them made a big show of leaving a plate of cookies they'd bought from him in the breakroom telling everyone to help themselves and then saying directly to me, "this flavor is gluten free so feel to eat some!". I
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    wanted to keep the peace so I just said thanks, but I didn't eat any because I'm pretty strict about cross contamination with gluten. I worry that I made things
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    worse by not eating them, but at the same time I don't think I'm obliged to support his cause. My friends say I should just buy a box this time and if he does it again then I can stand my ground
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    but it's not really about the cookies now. It's about him trying to shame me into doing what he wants. AITA for not buying cookies from him?
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    LIKE A BOSS
    via Brooke Lark

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    Edit 1: Thank you everyone for weighing in! I'm surprised by how many people have been affected by people selling things in their office. I definitely won't be buying his cookies and I'm going to sit down with him to discuss
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    to sit down with him to discuss the bad-mouthing. I think I'll wait to escalate this to HR because I'm getting the sense that he wouldn't respond well. It's definitely tough as a new manager and woman so I'm determined to do this right!
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    blue-brachiosaur... • 16h ago . NTA. The only Girl Scout cookies that are gluten free have to be shipped with four or more other boxes of cookies and they don't even declare whether or not they're made in a shared facility!! (Fellow celiac here).
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  • Although the manager may have felt alone on this matter at work, several folks in this online community came to her defense and voiced that despite the hierarchy within the company, she should not have been pressured to purchase something she could not even consume just because she was the boss. Here's what these folks had to say!

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    Health is not something to be taken lightly and you should never be forced to buy something you can't even consume.
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    Kitchen-Phase-6... . 16h ago NTA. If a colleague puts an order sheet in the break room where people can write in their orders, I don't think anyone is bothered by that. Going up to each worker and asking is a bit much and I'm glad none of my colleagues actually want to do that!
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    4theloveofbbw 16h ago In my workplace it is banned to sell your Avon, scentsy, school fundraisers, etc. check with HR to see if there's a similar policy. I don't want to bothered with pressure to spend $ while I'm trying to make money.
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    Jenny_8675309... . 16h ago If you're the Manager, I would have a slit down with this employee and tell them you don't appreciate this becoming inter office chatter and him blasting you
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    for not buying his cookies to the other staff. Explain to him that this is not professional behavior for an office environment and you are disappointed that something like this has become an issue. NTA
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    • neophenx 16h ago NTA. You should never be forced to buy something or eat something that you do not want, regardless of your health or dietary concerns.
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    This situation just sounds like an HR nightmare and not at all appropriate for the workplace. If you "look mean" because you won't shell out money for cookies, people need to be reminded that it's not in your job description.
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terrible coworkers workplace-stories work stories girl scout cookies work coworkers gluten free cookies
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