Tracey Ward, Head of Business Development & Marketing at Generali UK Employee Benefits
Simple workplace adjustments that might improve support for neurodiverse employees, helping prevent undue stress and anxiety, have the potential to benefit everyone, says Karen Royle, Chartered Occupational Psychologist at Ways to Work, speaking as part of a recent Generali UK webinar.*
“It could be argued that we’re all neurodiverse. We all have different ways of thinking. But neurodifference – the terminology increasingly being used in place of neurodiversity – is when your cognitive abilities, and therefore your thinking style, are extremely different to those classed as the neurotypical norm. As a consequence of naturally thinking differently, you might feel a bit like the odd one out. Concerns you have about this might then impact your life and create difficulties for you,” says Karen.
Between 15 and 20% of the workforce is estimated to have a neurodifference; which is around a fifth of the workforce. So, there are a lot of people out there that potentially need support. Without such support, there’s a potential cost to the economy, including problems such as long-term unemployment.
You’ve got the job, now how can we help you do your best?
According to the Equality Act 2010, if an employee is struggling with something that has ‘a substantial and long-term adverse impact on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’, and it’s been like that for a year or so, then they are likely to be entitled to support.
Karen adds: “I like to think of this in terms of ‘how can we help you work at your best?’ The person has already got the job. So, they’ve got the qualifications, they’ve done the interview, they’ve got all the qualities needed, but something isn’t quite fitting and that’s what needs unravelling, so the organisation can provide the support needed and deserved.”
The legal definition of ‘disability’ under the Equality Act 2010 means that neurodifference is likely to meet the conditions. Government guidance states: “A disability can arise from a wide range of impairments, which can be […] developmental, such as autistic spectrum disorders, dyslexia and dyspraxia”.
It’s simply good business practice for all
Of course, not all those with a neurodifference will consider themselves to have a disability. Under the law though, the important point is that employees have the right to identify as having a disability, or not to identify.
It’s also important to bear in mind that individuals don’t have to have a diagnosis to have reasonable adjustments put in place. It is the symptoms and impact that are covered by the Act, not the name of the condition.
Reasonable adjustments may be defined as the changes an employer makes to remove or reduce a disadvantage to someone’s disability. For example, in the case of Autism, this might include simple factors associated with communication and minimising the unexpected, such as giving clarity; stating clearly what response is required from an email, having a clear agenda and sticking to it, meetings starting on time and briefing papers sent ahead of the meeting.
In the absence of such support and understanding, individuals with a neurodifference may deploy unhelpful coping strategies – otherwise known as ‘masking’ – which have potentially negative implications for mental health.
Many people with a neurodifference will mask to fit in. In the case of Autistic people, the National Autistic Society describes masking as: “suppressing certain behaviours we find soothing but that others think are ‘weird’, such as stimming [repetitive movements or noises for simple enjoyment or stress reduction] or intense interests. It can also mean mimicking the behaviour of those around us, such as copying non-verbal behaviours and developing complex social scripts to get by in social situations”.
Studies have shown that masking can be detrimental to mental health, with Autistic people showing more signs of anxiety and depression.
“It’s [masking] almost like asking people to hide some of their strengths,” comments Karen. “To suppress behaviours because they don’t quite fit with the situation.”
The ‘Job – Person – Environment Fit’ model
To help tackle this problem, Karen advocates the ‘Job – person – environment fit’ model.
“This model is about recognising that everything is unique to individuals. If things are going wrong, it encourages you to stop and think about how the person is impacted. What they can be doing for themselves, but also what the employer can do in terms of the job and the environment,” adds Karen.
“The focus should still be on getting the job done, but how you can adjust things to help make it happen. Just zooming in on the ‘job’ aspect of that model, we can use something called job crafting, which is about working to people’s strengths. Maybe, within a team, job responsibilities need to be swopped around a bit more, for example.
“So, say there’s a big report to write. One person is great at creating the ideas, one is brilliant at writing and someone else is amazing when it comes to reviewing everything at the end – checking all the detail. Jobs could be divvied up accordingly, to get the best end result and ensure everyone feels valued for the strengths they bring.”
The key to all this, as Karen explains, is talking to people; asking questions, genuinely listening and taking time to understand. “The key question I would encourage an employer to ask people is: how can I help you work at your best? Or, to put it another way, how can I help you do this job?”
*To access a recording of the full 30-min webinar, entitled ‘Building teamwork within neurodiverse teams’, please email [email protected].
Disclaimer:
All information contained herein represents the views and opinions of the author as at the date of writing and is provided for general information only. Nothing herein constitutes or is intended to constitute financial or other form of advice and no individual should rely upon the information provided in making a specific investment decision without first seeking independent professional advice