What Helps / Hurts Teams | Navigating Coeliac Disease in business

There are no cheat days with Coeliac disease.

So if at the shared morning team - if you offer me up the fruit platter that Bob just used the muffin tray on it and "That should be fine, it's only crumbs, she’ll never know..." 

It’s not. 

We will know — when we’re violently ill 🤢, spending the afternoon in the toilet with diarrhoea 💩 (or worse, a week off work 😩 battling the side effects of a glutening), and all the while silently accumulating long-term damage on the inside. 

Let’s talk about what actually helps Coeliacs in a workplace. 👇 

It’s Coeliac Awareness Week, and I’m sharing: 5 of the worst ❌ and 5 of the best ✅ things I’ve seen teams do when working with a colleague who has Coeliac disease.

Read below, or watch my full short video here on

❌ 5 of the WORST things teams do:

1. “There’s only a tiny bit of gluten in it…”

   ➜ A crumb can cause real damage. This isn’t a preference, its not a social media trend — it’s medical neccesity

   ➜ And please — don’t tell us your cousin’s neighbour’s hairdresser has Coeliac and eats gluten “sometimes.” That’s not how this works.
   

2. “There’s salad or fruit!”

   ➜ Thanks… but someone just used the muffin tongs on the watermelon. That’s cross-contamination.

   
   

3. Ordering shared food without checking

   ➜ If you ask, I’ll probably say, “Don’t worry — I’ll bring my own.”

   ➜ Not because I don’t want to be included — but because I want to be safe.

   
   

4. Rolling eyes when we ask about ingredients 🙄

   ➜ I’ve done this before I understood. Now I know better.

   
   

5. Assuming it’s just a lifestyle or social media fad

   ➜ It’s not a choice. Not a trend.

   ➜ It’s an autoimmune disease. And trust me — I’d love to eat the gluten if I could. 🥐🥖🍕

✅ 5 of the BEST things teams do:

1. Ask first when organising food 🍽️

   ➜ “Is there something we can include for you?” That small question means a lot.

   
   

2. Let the Coeliac direct how their food should be handled 🍱

   ➜ Even with good intentions, cross-contamination happens fast. Let us guide.

   
   

3. Be cool when someone brings their own food 😎

   ➜ It’s not antisocial. It’s how we stay well.

   
   

4. Recognise that food matters — but so does connection 💬

   ➜ Shared food builds team culture. But so do shared laughs, being considered, and feeling included — even with a different plate.

   
   

5. Be open to learning and asking questions 🤔

   ➜ You don’t need to know it all. Just be willing to care and ask.

It doesn’t take big changes to make a safer, more inclusive team.

Just small shifts. A little thought. A little care.

Coeliac disease is different for every body.

But support doesn’t have to be. 💛

For Coeliac Awareness Week, I’m raising the curtain on what it’s really like to manage Coeliac in the workplace.

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Coeliac Awareness Week takes place from Monday 9th to Sunday 15th June 2025. 

Come along, keep an eye out for the first video on my Social Profiles @RudhallHyett — you might learn something helpful for your team.

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