Television personalities Mel Sykes and Christine McGuinness have both recently been in the news as having been diagnosed as autistic in adulthood.
Whilst adult diagnoses can be difficult to get, more people are becoming aware of their own neurodivergency and how this affects their performance in the workplace. Charlotte Ashton, our senior solicitor, explores this in more detail here…
The National Autistic Society (NAS) states that around 1 in 100 people are autistic, with there being around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK. This is likely to be a conservative figure given historical difficulties in the diagnosis of autism, particularly in women.
Autism is described by the NAS as “a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world”. The NHS explains that autistic people may:
- find it hard to communicate and interact with other people
- find it hard to understand how other people think or feel
- find things like bright lights or loud noises overwhelming, stressful or uncomfortable
- get anxious or upset about unfamiliar situations and social events
- take longer to understand information
- do or think the same things over and over
All employers are likely to have autistic employees whether they are aware of this or not. Where an employee has informed their workplace that they have been diagnosed as autistic the employer will be under a legal duty to support them in the workplace by making reasonable adjustments.
In addition, given the difficulties in obtaining a diagnosis, employees may say they believe themselves to be autistic without formal confirmation and it would be wise for employers to consider reasonable adjustments in these circumstances. Adjustments are not just necessary during the course of employment but also apply to the recruitment stage, such as adapting the interview process.
A good starting point is the advice from NAS on employing autistic people, which is available here. Examples include:
- having fixed shifts and routine rather than variable hours or tasks
- reducing stimuli in the workplace
- ensuring instructions are specific and concise
- providing reassurance in stressful circumstances
- helping other staff to be more aware
Employers need to remember that each individual will have their own strengths and weaknesses and an adjustment made for one autistic person will not necessarily be required or helpful for all autistic people.
Employers should also be aware that there are many more neurodivergent conditions which can amount to a disability and require reasonable adjustments in the workplace. By being proactive, considering how processes can be adapted, and seeking advice from specialists, the work environment can be made more inclusive.
