Autistic adults’ views and experiences of requesting and receiving workplace adjustments in the UK

This article examines 181 autistic adults' views toward, and experiences of, requesting and receiving workplace adjustments in the UK. Using an online survey, we collected both qualitative and quantitative data relating to individuals' experiences. While the majority of participants percei...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2022-08, Vol.17 (8), p.e0272420-e0272420
Main Authors: Davies, Jade, Heasman, Brett, Livesey, Adam, Walker, Amy, Pellicano, Elizabeth, Remington, Anna
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Autism
Biology and Life Sciences
Communication
Confidence
Disability
Disabled workers
Disclosure
Economic conditions
Employees
Employers
Employment
Employment discrimination
Engineering and Technology
Forecasts and trends
Medicine and Health Sciences
Neurodiversity
Qualitative analysis
Research and Analysis Methods
Social Sciences
Work environment
Workers with disabilities
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Summary:This article examines 181 autistic adults' views toward, and experiences of, requesting and receiving workplace adjustments in the UK. Using an online survey, we collected both qualitative and quantitative data relating to individuals' experiences. While the majority of participants perceived workplace adjustments to be important, many were not receiving them. Analysis of open-ended text responses highlighted specific challenges that autistic people face in requesting and receiving adjustments. Specifically, participants felt the onus fell on them to (1) identify their need for adjustments; (2) establish the specific adjustments that would be beneficial and (3) request adjustments from their employer. Yet, they reported struggling with this process. Participants also highlighted a range of social and organisational barriers to the successful implementation of workplace adjustments. Unsurprisingly, the lack of successfully implemented adjustments had far-reaching impacts on participants' wellbeing as well as the choices they made about their future employment. These findings highlight the need for employers to take a more active role in the identification and implementation of workplace adjustments, as well as a need for more understanding and inclusive working environments that truly allow autistic employees to thrive in the workplace.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0272420