Hi.
I am 24 and still in school, and I love my main job. However, I work part-time during the week at a small business I have worked at since I was 16. The store was bought by a new owner a couple of years ago, and I kept my job. A few weeks ago, I was putting away merchandise and I noticed a weird smell in the second room of the store, but thought it was just a weird smell and that it would pass. I normally only work there 1-2 days a week max, and I usually am by myself so I don't leave the register much ( which is another problem in and of itself, I know).
Anyway, the smell was never detectable to me by the register in the next room and no customers ever said anything to me about it. (Think of how at the mall like how American Eagle and Aerie are connected, but it is a stand alone business.) We recently just received a huge shipment of items for the store so I have been putting away inventory like crazy. I worked this past weekend with a coworker, and I could not even go into the next room without being hit with this smell. It smells like a musty smell, almost like something is rotting. I asked my coworker if she has been noticing the smell and if anyone has said anything to her about it. She said our boss thought something died in the walls. Like excuse me?
It bothers me that she is aware of this smell, but she ignores the store like the plague so I never get a chance to really ask her about it, and I know if I asked her about it over text or call she would just ignore it. Our walls in the store are pegboard so I put my nose against the wall where the smell originated from and it smelled horrific – so maybe something did die in the walls. However, when I worked this past weekend I came down with the worst headache within an hour of me being there and being in that room. The smell almost smells musty and if something is rotting. I believe the smell is mold.
I have a mold allergy so that also had me convinced as to why I got a headache. I do not want to quit since I have worked there for so long, and it is nice to have some extra money coming in because I only get paid monthly from my main job. I cannot keep working with this smell, especially if it is mold. I know more of my coworkers who work there more than me have noticed it, but no one seems as bothered by it as much as me.
I don't really know what to do if my boss won't try and get to the root of this smell. I feel as if I am being ridiculous, but I am about to go out and get a mold testing kit to see if I am right. However, I don't know what I going to do if it is mold because I will most likely not be able to work, and I assume she is just going to ignore it. I of course do not want any of my coworkers or the public to be exposed to this because mold is not good to be exposed to. Is there anyone I can report this to, or like a health department if it is?
Advice much appreciated.